\  (ibe  •>  Holy  * 

& . 


A  SERIES  OF-  BIBLE  STUDIES 


ON  THE 


PERSON,  PRESENCE  AND  POWER 


OF  THE 


HOLY  SPIRIT. 


BY  A  PASTOR. 
rt 


1310  OLIVE  STREET,  ST.  LOUIS: 

FOR 

SAYLOR  SPRINGS  ASSEMBLY  SERIES. 
1890. 


'Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress  In  the  year  1889  by  E.  A.  Stone  In 
the  office  ol  the  Llbarlan  of  Congress  at  Washington . ' ' 


DEDICATION. 


To  our  Blessed  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
Who  sent  the  Comforter; 

And  to  His  Churches, 

Who  received  His  abiding 

Presence  and  Power. 


INTRODUCTION. — The  Creed  —  History —  Corrupting 
influences  upon  the  doctrine — Plan  of  the  work 
— Need  of  the  work — Explanatory  notes 9 

CHAPTER  I. — The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Old  Testament — 
Creation — Soul — Intensifying  natural  powers — 
Bestowing  gifts — Inspiration — Providence — Lim- 
itations    15 

CHAPTER  II. — The  Old  Testament  prophecies — Upon 
the  Messiah — Upon  the  world — Upon  men — With- 
in the  Church 26 

CHAPTER  HI. — The  Holy  Spirit  with  the  Son  of 
Man — In  conception — Witness —  Filled  with  — 
Wrought  signs  by — Was  offered  by — Resurrec- 
tion— Glorification 34 

CHAPTER  IV. — Christ's  teaching— Promised — Sought 
— Needed — Sevenfold  mission — Final  instruction.  42 

CHAPTER  V.— The  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit — 
Promised — Fulfillment — Order — Nature  and  pur- 
pose— Temporal  features — Permanent  features ....  53 

CHAPTER  VI. — Sins  against  the  Holy  Spirit — Blas- 
phemy— Despising — Resisting — Tempting — Defil- 
ing the  Temple — Quenching — Grieving 65 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. — What  the  Holy  Spirit  does  for  the 
Sinner.  Awakens  —  Enlightens  —  Convicts  — 
Regenerates 77 

CHAPTER  VIII. — What  the  Holy  Spirit  does  for  the 
Saint.  Dwells  in — Witnesses  with — Leads — Gives 
hope — Sanctifies — Strengthens — Intercedes  with.  86 

CHAPTER  IX. — The  doctrine  in  Romans  eighth  chap- 
ter   97 

CHAPTER  X. — The  fruit  of  the  Spirit —Law — Neces- 
sity— Nature — Special  gifts 108 

CHAPTER  XI. — The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Ministry — 
Calls — Directs — Makes  effective — Strengthens .  . .  118 

CHAPTER  XII. — The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Church — 
Organization  —  Officers  —  Planting  —  Comforts — 
Dwells  in — Relation  to  Ordinances 127 

CHAPTER  XIII. — Co-operation  with  the  Holy  Spirit — 
Mind  —Wait — Pray  in — Use  Word — Walk  by — 
Sow  to— Be  filled  with 186 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Tests  of  the  Indwelling  Spirit  1 
John  4th  chap.  Confession — Overcoming — Obey- 
ing— Love — Witness — Confidence — Love  for  God.  147 

CHAPTER  XV. — The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Word- 
Inspires — Blesses — Makes  powerful 159 

CHAPTER  XVI.— The  Holy  Spirit  in  Conflict  with 
Satan — Essential — Works  of  the  Devil— Ancient 
— In  Christ's  time  —Perpetual 167 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Emblems  of  the  Holy  Spirit — 
Tongues  of  fire— Wind — Dove— Water— Seal— 


CONTENTS.  Vll 


Earnest— Fire 178 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — The  Holy  Spirit  and  Apostasy — 
Regeneration — Enlightenment — Last  State 187 


INTRODUCTION. 


"I  believe  in  the  Holy  Spirit."  This  has 
been  the  expressed  creed  of  Christians  during 
all  the  centuries  since  the  ascension  of  our  blessed 
Lord.  With  more  or  less  clearness  of  vision  they 
have  recognized  their  dependence  upon  active  co- 
operation with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  order  to  success, 
both  in  personal  growth  in  grace,  and  in  advanc- 
ing the  Kingdom  of  Christ  on  the  earth. 

That,at  times  their  understanding  of  the  full 
import  of  his  person,  presence  ami  power  has  been 
corrupted  by  surrounding  influences,  need  not  be 
deemed  strange.  Dark  fogs  have  arisen  from 
the  low  lands  of  worldly  interests,  of  physical 
infirmities  and  desires.  Dark  clouds  have  over- 
hung the  sky,  driven  by  the  winds  of  heathen 
degration,  superstition  and  ignorance;  and  at 
such  times  Christians  have  been  led  to  look  for 
success  in  numbers,  wealth,  social  and  civil  pres- 
tige, in  magnificent  cathedrals,  in  forms  and  cer- 
emonies ;  and  have  forgotten  that  God  had  prom- 
ised it,  "Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

spirit."     But  to-day  the  vision  is  growing  clearer, 
the  understanding  more  perfect. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  so  far  as  human 
sources  and  agencies  had  to  do  with  it,  the  cause 
of  Christ  came  out  from  a  formal  Judaism,  and 
a  corrupt  heathanism. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  frequently  the 
statements  of  creeds  have  neither  correctly  nor 
clearly  set  forth  divine  truth.  With  the  Bible 
lockedfrom  the  membership  of  the  Churches, in  ob- 
scure cells  or  unknown  tongues,  with  a  ministry 
often  caring  more  for  creeds  than  the  Word  of 
God  ;  for  the  confessional  than  the  gospel  of  par- 
don ;  for  the  form  than  for  the  fact ;  depending 
more  for  salvation  upon  the  Church  than  the 
Christ;  it  is  not  strange  that  confusion  of  doctrine 
has  arisen,  and  false  teaching  been  heard.  To- 
day the  Christian  leaders  are  standing  in  clearer 
light  than  ever  before.  The  day  of  truth  is  ad- 
vancing, and  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  is  well 
up  the  heavens.  Churches  are  coming  to  recog- 
nize their  obligations  to  Christ,  and  the  world. 
Missions  are  planted,  or  soon  will  be,  in  every 
nation;  the  Bible  has  been,  or  soon  will  be, 
printed  in  every  language  ;  and  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  manifest  wherever  the  Ministry  and 
Word  have  gone.  It  must  be  wise  in  view  of 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

these  things,  to  enquire  what  is  the  teaching  of 
the  Inspired  Word  concerning  the  person,  pres- 
ence and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  object 
of  this  volume  is  solely  to  make  this  enquiry 
from  a  Bihle  standpoint ;  the  effort  being  to  collate 
and  harmonize  the  various  passages  of  the  Word, 
as  refer  direetly  to  these  truths.  To-day  if  Chris- 
tians would  secure  speedily  the  promised  victory 
over  sin,  they  must  understand  the  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  concerning  himself.  This  is  the 
dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Just  as  there 
has  been  a  dispensation  of  Patriarchs,  of  Law, 
of  Priests,  of  Prophets,  and  of  a  personal  Christ ; 
so,  now,  in  the  last  of  the  world  has  come  the  ao;e 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  doing  His  work  in  sal- 
vation. What  could  not  be  secured  by  any 
other  means,  is  being  secured  by  this  last  agency 
of  God's  Spirit.  This  has  been,  and  is,  the  di- 
vine plan  for  teaching  the  world  the  absolute, 
need  of  a  life  from  God,  of  salvation  by  grace, 
of  the  reality  of  spiritual  things,  and  of 
eternal  loss  without  the  direct  personal  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  soul.  To  such  a  study 
we  come,  praying  for  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  that  he  will  make  this  humble  work 
a  blessing  in  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  com- 
fort of  saints. 


XII  INTRODUCTION. 

In  the  quotations,  the  Revised  Version  has  been 
largely  used,  and  the  references  are  inserted  in 
the  text  rather  than  in  foot  notes.  The  author 
has  also  followed  the  American  Revisers'  suggest. 
ion,  by  using  the  term  Holy  Spirit  instead  of 
Holy  Ghost. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end.  Amen. 


VENI  CREATOR    SPIRITUS. 


1 

Veni  Creator  Spiritus 
Mentes  tuorum  visita 
Imple  superna  gratia 
Quae  tu  creasti  pectora. 

2 

Qui  Paraclitus  diceris 
Donum  Dei  altissimi 
Fons  vivus,  ignis,  charitas 
Et  spiritalis  unctio. 

3 

Tu  septiformis  munere 
Dextrae  Dei  tu  digitus 
Tu  site  promissum  Patris 
Sermone  ditans  guttura. 


INTRODUCTION.  XIII 

4 

Accende  lumen  sensibus 
Infunde  amorem  cordibus 
Infirma  nostri  corporis 
Virtute  firmans  perpeti 

5 

Hostem  repellas  longius 
Pacemque  dones  protinus 
Ductore  sic  te  praevio 
Vitemus  omne  noxium. 

6 

Per  te  sciamus  da  Patrent 
Noscamus  atqne  Filium 
Teque  utriusque  Spiritum 
Credamus  omui  tempore. 

7 

Deo  Patri  fit  gloria 
Et  Filio,  qui  a  mortuis 
Surrexit  ac  Paraclito 
In  Saeculorum  saecula. 

— Old  Latin  Hymn. 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

Science  joins  hands  with  the  Holy  Scriptures 
in  teaching  that  all  life  is  the  gift  of  God.  The 
Scriptures  alone,  however,  come  to  us  with  the 
teaching  that  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God  which  gives 
all  life.  It  is  by  this  power  that  every  advance 
from  lower  to  higher  forms  of  life  has  been  pos- 
sible. In  all  our  study  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work 
we  must  keep  this  thought,  then,  in  plain  view, 
that  he  is  the  great  life-giver.  Recognizing  this 
fundamental  truth,  let  us  at  once  proceed  to  en- 
quire what  were  the  earliest  manifestations  of  the 
Spirit's  power  and  presence,  and  what  were  the 
truths  God  set  forth  in  the  Old  Testament  dispen- 
sations concerning  his  work.  That  his  person 
and  work  were  but  imperfectly  revealed  in  the 
olden  times  need  not  be  deemed  strange ;  but  we 


16  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

shall  find  that  during  the  entire  history  of  the 
world  prior  to  the  advent  of  our  blessed  Lord,  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  recognized  by  the 
inspired  writers. 

(u)  In  the  morning  of  creation,  when  by  the 
Word  all  things  had  been  -made,  when  darkness 
covered  the  entire  earth,  rolling  in  emptiness  and 
desolation,  it  was  "the  Spirit  of  God  which  moved 
upon  the  face  of  the  waters"  (Gen.  1:2)  and 
brought  forth  order  and  developed  light  and  life. 
And  Job  declared,  "  By  by  his  spirit  he  hath  gar- 
nished the  heavens."  Job  26:13.  Thus  while  it 
was  by  the  power  of  "the  Word  that  all  things 
were  made  and  without  him  was  not  anything 
made  that  was  made  ;"  it  was  by  the  Spirit  that 
life,  order  and  adornment  were  given  to  the  things 
thus  created.  As  will  be  seen  further  on,  doing 
a  supplemental  work,  to  the  work  of  Christ,  in 
nature  as  well  as  in  grace ;  the  beauty  and  order 
of  the  natural  world  being  secured  by  his  Divine 
power  after  creation  had  occurred. 

(b)  And  after  this  work  when,  in  the  councils 
of  the  Infinite,  it  was  determined  to  make  man, 
it  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who  imparted  to  him  life 
and  gave  him  understanding.  Elihu  was  right 
when  in  his  controversy  he  declared:  "  There  is 
a  spirit  in  man  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Al- 


THF   HOLY   SPIRIT.  17 

mighty  giveth  them  understanding."  Job  32  :8. 
And,  again  :  *'  The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me 
and  the  Spirit  of  the  Almighty  hath  given  me 
life."  Job  33  :4%  Job  himself  had  already  de- 
clared :  "  The  Spirit  of  God  is  in  my  nostrils." 
Job  27  :3.  It  was  the  same  truth  recognized  by 
the  Psalmist  when  having  asked,  "Whither  shall 
I  go  from  thy  Spirit,  and  whither  shall  I  flee 
from  thy  presence,"  he  adds  "  Thine  eyes  did  see 
my  substance,  yet  being  unperfect,  and  in  thy 
Book  all  were  written  what  days  they  should  be 
fashioned  when  there  was  none  of  them."  Ps. 
139  :7  withlG  (mar.  reading.) 

Life  does  not  spring  out  of,  nor  is  it  developed 
from  created  matter,  it  is  the  Divine  Spirit  act- 
ing upon  that  which  the  Word  has  created  that 
produces  life.  So  we  are  to  understand  the 
Psalmist:  *« By  the  word  of  the  Lord  were  the 
heavens  made,  and  all  the  HOST  of  them  by  the 
breath  (spirit)  of  his  mouth."  Ps.  33:6.  Not 
only  were  the  hosts  of  heaven  made  by  him,  but 
it  was  his  inbreathed  spirit  that  made  and  marked 
the  difference  between  man  and  all  other  living 
creatures. — vide,  Gen.  2  :7  ;  Job  27  :3  ;  Ps.104  : 
29,  30;  Job  12:10;  Is.  42:5.  A  further  study 
will  also  show  that  the  continuation ,  the  preserva- 
tion, and  maintenance  of  this  life  is  from  the 


18  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

same  Divine  source.  So  the  Psalmist  again  de- 
clares :  * '  Thou  takest  away  their  ( the  creatures  ) 
spirit  and  they  die,  and  turn  again  to  their  dust. 
Thou  sendest  forth  thy  spirit  and  they  are  cre- 
ated, and  thou  renewest  the  form  of  the  earth. 
Ps.  104  :29,  30. 

Thus  does  the  Word  in  the  beginning  recognize 
that  it  was  the  Spirit  of  God  inbreathed  that 
made  man  a  living  soul;  gave  him  the  powers  by 
which  his  superiority  over  all  the  rest  of  God's 
creation  on  earth  is  plainly  manifested.  But  sin 
entered  not  only  the  garden, but  theheartof  man, 
and  he  fell ;  and  therefore  the  Spirit  in  his  work 
must  deal  with  man  as  a  sinner  ever  after. 

(c)  A  study  of  the  Old  Testament  will  reveal 
that  this  dealing  was  largely  with  men  as  individ- 
uals and  not  as  a  race.  Especial  emphasis  should 
be  laid  -on  the  fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  took  the 
natural  powers  with  which  man  was  endowed  in 
creation  and  in  individuals  divinely  chosen  to  es- 
pecial office  and  work,  enlarged  and  intensified 
their  natural  endowments.  So  God  declared  to 
Moses  concerning  Bezaleel :  "  I  have  filled  him 
with  the  Spirit  of  God  in  wisdom  and  understand- 
ing and  in  knowledge  and  in  all  manner  of  work- 
manship," etc.  Ex.  31 :3.  And  so  when  the 
elders  were  chosen  to  co-operate  with  Moses,  God 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  19 

said:  "  I  will  take  of  the  Spirit  which  is  upon 
thee  and  will  put  it  upon  them  and  they  shall  bear 
the  burden  of  the  people  with  thee  that  thou  bear 
it  not  thyself  alone."  Num.  11 :17.  And  so  of 
Gideon,  Jephthah,  Samson  and  others  among  the 
Judges.  When  the  Holy  Samuel  came  to  anoint 
David,  after  he  had  poured  the  oil  upon  him  in 
the  midst  of  his  brethren,  "The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  David  from  that  day  forward." 
1  Sam.  16  :13.  This  special  fitting  for  service  did 
not  imply  either  a  permanent  blessing  or  holiness 
of  life  as  is  apparent  in  thecasesof  Samson,  Saul 
and  even  David.  It  only  signified  that  for  his 
own  purposes,  in  developing  the  plan  of  redemp- 
tion, God  used  certain  men  and  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  specially  fitted  them  for  such  purpose. 
These  passages  expressly  declare  the  operation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  God' s 
chosen  servants,  for  an  especial  work;  but  they 
do  not  imply  the  continuance  or  abiding  presence 
of  the  Spirit.  Nay,  David's  prayer,  "Take  not 
thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me,"  (Ps.  51:11),  would 
imply  the  possible  removal  of  the  Spirit  from  the 
soul  for  cause — and  it  is  declared  in  the  case  of 
Saul  that  this  was  true.  1  Sam.  16  :14.  It  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  this  is  true  only  of 
the  Spirit's  work  in  imparting  the  special  gifts  to 


20  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

those  whom  God  had  called  to  specific  work  and 
not  to  his  power  in  making  men  holy  or  in  enab- 
ling them  to  live  a  righteous  life  in  the  world. 

(d)  But  there  was  also  a  work  of  the  Spirit 
in  warning  sinners  by  the  mouth  of  divinely 
called  messengers,  that  was  more  general.  Pa- 
triarchs, law-givers,  judges  and  prophets  were 
specially  moved  amd  instructed  by  the  Holy  Spir- 
it in  warning  men  of  the  consequences  of  sin  and 
in  urging  them  to  repentance  and  consecration. 
"My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with  men.  ' 
Gen.  6:3.  So  declared  the  Lord  when  the  Pa- 
triarch Noah  was  sent  to  them  as  a  preacher  of 
righteousness.  And  it  was  when  the  people  would 
not  heed  the  prophetic  warnings,  that  the  Lord, 
speaking  through  Isaiah,  declares,  "  But  they  re- 
belled and  vexed  his  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore  he 
is  turned  to  be  their  enemy,  and  he  fought  against 
them."  Is.  63:10.  There  are  no  other  pass- 
ages in  the  Old  Testament  implying  any  exertion 
of  power  by  the  Holy  Spirit  over  the  race.  And 
in  these  two  passages  the  legitimate  inference 
seems  to  be  rather  a  rejection  of  the  Spirit's 
message  through  the  inspired  teacher,  than  a 
personal  rejection  of  the  Spirit's  personal  influ 
ence.  Whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it  is  clear 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  did  not  move  upon  men  in 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  21 

the  old  dispensation  as  he  does  under  the  new, 
but  they  were  left  to  feel  after  God — if  possible 
to  find  him — and  only  when  it  had  been  demon- 
strated that  none  of  the  old  influences,  acting 
without  either  direct  or  general  influence  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  could  lead  men  to  God,  that  in  the 
new  he  exerts  his  power  directly  upon  the  soul. 
The  world  must  learn  its  need  before  God  gave 
the  means  for  blessing. 

(e)  But  we  shall  see  that  the  Old  Testament 
teachers  were  divinely  endowed  and  inspired. 
Such  language  as  the  following  is  quite  frequent : 
"  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Jephthah," 
and  upon  Gideon,  etc.  Judges  6:34;  11 :29,  and 
2Chron.  15:1.  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was 
upon  them."  "The  Spirit  took  me."  "The 
Spirit  lifted  me  up."  "lam  full  of  power  by 
the  Spirit."  These  expressions,  and  many  simi- 
lar ones,  plainly  teach  that  the  holy  men  of  God 
recognized  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  con- 
trolling and  directing  them  in  all  of  the  work 
which  they  undertook  for  the  advancement  of 
God's  kingdom,  or  the  revelation  of  his  will.  And 
the  Apostles  in  the  NewTestament  plainly  declared 
that  this  was  true.  In  the  midst  of  the  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty,  Peter  declares:  "The  Holy 
Spirit  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  David." 


22  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Acts  1 :16.  And  in  his  epistle  he  also  declares 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  was  in  the  prophet's  in- 
quiring concerning  the  salvation  that  should 
come.  1  Pet.  1 :10-12.  And,  "The  prophecy 
came  not  in  old  times  by  the  will  of  man,  but 
holy  men  of  God  spake,  moved  by  the  Holy 
Spirit."  2  Pet.  1:21. 

With  the  call  to  the  propetic  office  came  special 
personal  preparation  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that 
the  prophet  was  recognized  as  a  man  pre-eminent- 
ly of  the  Spirit.  This  fact  marks  a  distinction 
between  those  called  to  the  prophetic  office  and 
those  called  by  the  Spirit  to  other  kinds  of  ser- 
vice. It  was  evidently  this  very  difference  which 
led  Moses  to  say  :  *«  Would  God  that  all  the  Lord's 
people  were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord  would 
put  his  Spirit  upon  them."  Num.  11 :29.  The 
prophets  everywhere  recognized  the  holy  source 
from  which  they  derived  their  call,  their  fitness 
and  their  power. 

(f )  Again  it  seems  certain  that  in  so  far  as 
men  were  enabled  to  live  righteously,  it  was  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  old,  as  well  as 
in  the  now,  dispensation.  From  the  passages  al- 
ready quoted,  it  eecrr.s  a  fair  conclusion,  especi- 
ally in  the  light  of  the  New  Testament,  that  all 
holiness,  or  godliness,  of  life  in  every  age,  must 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  23 

be  the  result  of  the  Spirit's  direct  power.  When, 
then ,  men  listened  to  God's  messages,  and  turned  to 
serve  him,  he  gave  them  of  his  Holy  Spirit  to 
lead,  to  guide,  to  sanctify,  and  yet  it  seems  not 
to  have  been  as  fully  manifested  as  in  the  latter 
days.  A  contrast  indicating  this  seems  to  be 
made  between  the  holy  men  of  old  and  our  blessed 
Lord — in  the  manifested  power  of  the  Spirit's 
presence  when  it  is  said:  "  God  did  not  give  him 
the  Spirit  by  measure."  John  3:34.  Implying 
that  to  them  he  was  given  by  measure. 

(g)  But,  finally,  it  seems,  also,  from  Peter's 
language,  already  quoted.  1  Peter  1 : 10-12,  and 
from  other  teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  to 
be  quoted,  that,  as  the  Holy  Spirit  developed  or- 
der out  of  chaos  in  creation,  so  in  the  moral 
world  the  chaotic  condition  by  sin  was,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  moved  upon  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  developing,  unfolding,  directing,  all  the 
affairs  of  men  so  that  the  world  was  being  pre- 
pared for  Christ's  coming.  It  requires  only  a 
careful  study  of  the  world's  moral  and  spiritual 
development  to  realise  that  it  was  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  led  the  world  by  successive  stages, 
through  patriarch,  law-giver,  priest,  judge  and 
prophet  up  to  Him  who  more  than  all — and  com- 
bininir  all  in  himself ,  was  also  the  world's  Re- 


24  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

deemer.  It  required  four  thousand  years  to  do 
this  work,  but  under  his  direction  the  fullness  of 
time  came  and  God  sent  his  Son  into  the  world, 
that  the  world  might  have  life. 

Thus  from  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Scriptures  it 
becomes  evident  that  there  were  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament times  limitations  to  the  efficiency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Limitations,  not  made  by  any  dif- 
ference in  his  nature,  but  in  the  conditions  of 
men  themselves.  Let  us  note  here  the  character 
of  these  limitations : 

First.  The  Holy  Spirit  never  reveals  himself. 
He  only  reveals  Christ.  Hence,  as  Christ  was 
only  revealed  in  types,  and  forms,  and  figures, 
the  Holy  Spirit  could  only  present  these  types, 
forms  and  figures;  until  in  the  fulness  of  times 
God  should  send  his  Son  into  the  world.  Vide 
John  15:26;  16:14. 

Second.  The  Holy  Spirit  always  uses  the  re- 
vealed word  as  an  instrument.  Hence,  when  there 
was  an  imperfect  instrument,  there  must  be 
imperfect  use.  Vide  John  16  :13  ;  1  Cor.  2  :4,  5. 

Third.  The  Holy  Spirit  manifests  himself  in 
worship.  The  Old  Testament  age,  at  its  best, 
furnished  but  one  central  place  of  worship — The 
Tabernacle  and  The  Temple — and  worship  was 
an  elaborate  system  of  ceremonies.  Hence,  the 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  25 

Spirit's  efficiency  must  be  limited  by  these  very 
conditions.  Vide  John  4  ;23,  24. 

These  limitations  removed  by  the  coming  of 
the  gospel  in  the  fulness  of  times  and  his  efficien- 
cy is  perfected. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning, 
is  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


26  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER   H. 

THE     OLD     TESTAMENT    PROPHECIES    OF   THE    HOLY 
SPIRIT. 

Special  emphasis  is  laid  in  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies  upon  the  blessings  to  follow  the  advent 
of  the  Messiah  in  the  enlarged  and  intensified 
presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  That 
which  had  been  by  measure,  was  then  to  be  in 
abundance.  That  which  had  been  limited,  was 
was  then  to  become  unlimited.  New  and  glori- 
ous blessings  were  to  follow  the  coming  of  the 
Christ,  because  of  the  increased  activity  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  world,  and  upon  the  hearts  of 
all  men. 

(a)  This  increase  of  power  and  blessing  was 
first  to  be  manifested  upon  the  Messiah  himself  : 
"  There  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of 
Jesse  and  a  branch  shall  grow  out  of  his  roots, 
nnd  (he  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  him, 
the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit 


THE   HOI/T   SPIRIT.  27 

of  counsel  and  might,  the  spirit  of  knowledge 
and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord."  Isa.  11  ;1,  2.  In 
rapturous  vision,  the  same  prophet,  as  God's 
messenger,  turns  the  attention  of  the  people  to 
the  Messiah,  in  these  words:  "Behold  my  ser- 
vant whom  I  uphold,  mine  elect  in  whom  my  soul 
delighteth.  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him,  he 
shall  bring  forth  judgement  to  the  Gentiles."  Isa. 
42:1.  And  then  follows  a  glowing  prophecy 
of  the  blessings  to  come  with  the  advent  of  the 
Messiah's  reign.  In  the  succeeding  chapters  he 
depicts  the  coming  triumphs  of  grace  over  sin, 
and  at  last  declares  the  Messiah's  message,  as 
speaking  for  himself,  he  says:  "The  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  me  because  the  Lord  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek. 
He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted, 
to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives  and  the  open- 
ing of  the  prison  to  the  bound."  Isa.  61 :1.  We 
have  made  no  mistake  in  thus  attributing  to 
Christ  these  wonderful  prophecies.  No  better 
confirmation  is  needed  than  that  given  us  by  the 
Word.  Seven  centuries  roll  away  after  the 
Prophet's  revelation  of  his  rapturous  visions,  and 
he  of  whom  he  spoke,  standing  in  the  Synagogue 
of  Nazareth,  opened  the  Book  at  this  place,  and 
reading  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people  these 


28  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

words,  added  :  "  This  day  is  this  Scripture  ful- 
filled in  you  ears."  Luke  4  :18-21.  Thus  do  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures  point  to  Christ  as  the 
center  around  which  moves  the  word's  spiritual 
history.  The  nearer  the  old  world  comes  to  his 
gracious  advent  the  more  the  writings  glow  with 
descriptions  of  these  coming  blessings.  One  af- 
ter another  of  the  prophets  recognise  these  bless- 
ings, speak  of  them,  look  for  them,  and  turn  the 
world's  thoughts  toward  .them.  Last  in  the  line 
stands  one — even  after  the  birth  of  the  Messiah — 
who  also  by  the  Holy  Spirit  saw  the  glory  of  the 
Shiloh.  "And  the  Holy  /Spirit  was  upon  him, 
and  it  was  revealed  him  by  the  Holy  /Spirit  that 
he  should  not  see  death  before  he  had  seen  the 
Lord's  Christ.  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into 
the  temple  :  and  when  the  parents  brought  in  the 
Child  Jesus,  to  do  for  him  after  the  custom  of  the 
law,"  Simeon  recognized  him  as  the  promised 
Christ,  and  so  declared.  Luke  2  :25-27.  Thus  do 
the  Prophets,  not  only  by  the  Holy  Spirit  recog- 
nize the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  identify  him 
when  ho  does  come,  but  also  declare  the  especial 
presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  consti- 
tuting, in  a  largo  measures,  the  glory  of  his  ad- 
vent and  mission. 

(b)     But   the   prophecies   look   not    alone   to 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  29 

Christ's  great  endowment  by,  and  fuller  reception 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  also  lay  especial  empha- 
sis upon  the  fact  that  after  the  Messiah  has  come 
the  world  and  the  Church  are  to  be  made  large 
recipients  of  his  divine  blessing.  These  prophe- 
cies are  worthy  of  special  notice  as  indicating 
not  only  the  blessings  to  follow  Christ's  advent, 
but  the  distinctions  to  be  made  between  the  New 
and  the  Old.  Isaiah  makes  this  contrast  sharply 
when  he  speaks  of  the  desolations  coming  upon 
God's  people  because  of  their  transgressions,  and 
to  continue  "until  the  Spirit  be  poured  upon 
us  from  on  high,  and  the  wilderness  be  a 
fruitful  field,  and  the  fruitful  field  be  counted  for 
a  forest."  Isa.  32:15.  Again:  "  Thus  said  the 
Lord;  .  .  .  Fear  not,  O,  Jacob,  my  servant ; 
and  thou,  Jeshurun,  whom  I  have  chosen.  For 
I  will  pour  water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and 
floods  upon  the  dry  ground ;  I  will  pour  my  Spir- 
it upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing  upon  thine  off- 
spring." Isa.  44:2,  3.  Ezekiel,  as  the  Lord's 
prophet,  sees  the  same  blessings,  and  declares : 
I  will  give  them  one  heart,  and  I  will  put  a  new 
spirit  within  you."  Ez.  11  :19.  And,  again  :  "A 
new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit 
will  I  put  within  you ;  and  I  will  take  away  the 
stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you 


30  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

an  heart  of  flesh.  And  I  will  put  my  spirit  with- 
in you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes, 
and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them." 
Ez.  36 :26,  27.  And  when  he  recognizes  the 
same  blessingas  already  present,  he  says  :  "Neith- 
er will  I  hide  my  face  any  more  from  them  ;  for  I 
have  poured  out  my  Spirit  upon  the  house  of  Is- 
rael, saith  the  Lord  God."  Ez.  39:29.  Likewise 
the  prophet  Joel,  in  the  language  quoted  by  Peter 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
fulfillment,  declares:  "It  shall  come  to  pass 
afterwards,  that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon 
all  flesh ;  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophecy,  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams, 
your  young  men  shall  see  visions;  and  also  upon 
the  servants  and  upon  the  handmaids  in  those 
days  will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit."  Joel  2  :28,  29. 
Thus  by  prophecy,  revealing  that  neither  race, 
class,  age,  nor  condition  were  to  be  unblessed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  when  the  Messiah's  reign  should 
be  inaugurated. 

The  prophet  Zachariah  also  recognizes  this 
blessing  for  the  spiritual  Israel  when  he  says : 
"I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace 
and  of  supplication ;  and  they  shall  look  upon  me 
whom  they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

for  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and 
shall  be  in  bitterness  for  him,  as  one  is  in  bitter- 
ness for  his  first-born."  Zech.  12:10.  Thus  to- 
ward the  New  Testament  times  was  the  world 
turned  by  the  holy  prophets  for  the  fulfillment  of 
these  blessings  when  the  Holy  Spirit  should  be 
poured  out.  For  four  thousand  years  the  world 
sat  in  more  or  less  darkness,  beholding  these  rays 
of  coming  light  as  they  flashed  from  the  prophet's 
declaration,  and  waiting  for  the  full  glory  of  the 
rising  of  the  Son  of  Righteousness  and  the  com- 
ing of  the  day  of  the  Most  High. 

The  people  of  God  heard  now  and  again  these 
hopeful  messages  coming  from  the  lips  of  God's 
chosen  and  anointed  ones  who,  standing  upon 
spiritual  heights,  could  first  discern  and  declare 
the  glory  of  the  coming  day.  As  it  drew  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  breaking,  their  vision  grew 
clearer,  their  messages  were  plainer,  and  the 
hope  they  sought  to  inspire  was  enkindled  into  a 
glowing  flame,  until  at  last  the  whole  world 
seemed  waiting  for  the  gospel  light  and  life.  At 
length  the  last  of  these  messengers  stood  on  the 

banks  of  the  Jordan a  strange  messenger,  not 

unlike  the  first  Elijah — coming  as  if  born  of  the 
wind,  which  rushed  down  the  wild  canyons  of  the 
river,  and  he  proclaimed  the  end  of  the  night  and 


32  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

the  breaking  of  the  day.  Filled  as  the  prophets 
of  old,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  yet  in  a  greater 
degree  than  any  of  them  he  stood  and  declared  : 
"  There  cometh  one  after  me,  the  latchet  of 
whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  loose,  who  shall 
baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  fire." 
Matt.  3  :11  ;  Mark  1  :8;  Luke  3:16. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen. 


"LET  THERE  BE  LIGHT." 

Thou !  whose  almighty  word 
Chaos  and  darkness  heard 

And  took  their  flight, 
Hear  us,  we  humbly  pray 
And,  where  the  gospel  day 
Sheds  not  its  glorious  ray 

"  Let  there  be  light." 

Thou!  who  didst  come  to  bring 
On  thy  redeeming  wing 

Healing  and  sight, 
Health  to  the  sick  in  mind, 
Sight  to  the  inly  blind., 
Oh,  now  to  all  mankind 

'•Let  there  be  light." 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  33 

Blessed  and  holy  Three, 
All  glorious  Trinity, 

Wisdom,  Love,  Might, 
Boundless  as  ocean's  tide, 
Rolling  in  fullest  pride 
Through  the  world,  far  and  wide, 

"Let  there  be  light!" 


34  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  IH. 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  WITH  THF  SON  OF  MAN. 

The  entire  and  complete  co-operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  with  the  Son  of  Man  is  clearly  set 
forth  not  only  in  the  prophecies  already  quoted 
but  in  the  New  Testament  teaching.  As  he  was 
one  in  the  counsels  of  the  Holy  Trinity  in  the  eter- 
nal past,  as  he  is  now  and  ever  will  bo  in  the  car- 
rying forward  of  God's  kingdom,  so  was  he  one 
with  the  Son  of  Man  during  his  earthly  ministry. 
Mystery  shrouds  much  of  the  relationship  exist- 
ing between  the  second  and  third  persons  in  the 
trinity,  but  that  does  not  set  aside  the  revealed 
facts.  Whatever  may  be  our  theories  we  can  ac- 
cept the  declarations  of  the  Scriptures  with  un- 
faltering faith.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  personally 
at  one  with  Christ  from  the  time  of  his  conception 
throughout  his  whole  earthly  life. 

(a)  With  holy  awe  we  listen  to  the  wondrous 
annunciation '  made  by  the  angel  to  the  Virgin 
Mary  as  he  declares  the  glorious  and  solemn  truth 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  35 

to  be  realized  to  her,  culled  of  God,  "highly 
favorei  "  and  "blessed  among  women."  "  The 
Holy  Spirit  shallcomeuponthee,  and  the  power  of 
the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee  :  therefore  also 
the  holy  thing  to  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called 
the  Son  of  God."  Luke  1:35.  In  such  holy 
mystery  was  he  conceived,  and  from  such  paren- 
tage was  he  born,  who  walked  among  men  as  the 
Son  of  Man.  With  such  birth  we,  should  expect 
no  less  than  the  constant  co-operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  with  the  Christ  thus  manifested  in  the  flesh. 
The  Holy  life  thus  began  must  be  fittingly  con- 
tinued and  consumated. 

(b)  It  is  then  but  the  legitimate  sequence 
w-hen  he  enters  upon  his  public  ministry,  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  a  personal  manner  witnesses  to  his 
sonship  with  God.  At  his  baptism, coming,  as  he 
himself  declares  to  "  fulfill  all  righteousness,"  as 
he  comes  forth  from  the  water  when  he  has  com- 
pleted this  act  of  obedience  to  the  Father's  will; 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  form  like  a  dove,  descending 
rests  upon  him  and  "  lo,  a  voice  from  heaven,  say- 
ing, this  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased."  Matt.  3  :16  ;  Mark  1 :10;  Luke  3  :22; 
John  1 :33.  This  witness  to  the  Spirit  of  Christ's 
mission  and  identity  had  been  declared  previously 
to  John.  ««  I  knew  him  not:  but  he  that  sent  me 


36  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

to  baptize  with  water,  the  same  said  unto  me, 
Upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the  §pirit  descending, 
and  remaining  on  him,  the  same  is  he  which  bap- 
tizeth  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  John  1 :33.  These 
words  also  set  forth  a  new  fact  in  the  relationship 
between  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this, that 
the  latter  was  to  remain  or  abide  on  Christ. 

(c)  This  truth  stands  out  clearly  in  the  divine 
record.     Christ's  earthly  life  was  under  the  com- 
plete control  and  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  baptism  ended,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  had 
been  given,  we  then  read  that,  "  Jesus  being  full 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  returned  from  Jordan,  and  was 
led  by  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness,  Being  forty 
days  tempted  of  the  devil."     Luke  4:1,  2,  Mark 
lays  an  especial  emphasis  on  the  Spirit's  control 
when  he  says  after  his  baptism,  "Immediatelythe 
Spirit  driveth  him   into  the  wilderness."       Mark 
1:12.     In  these  words  at  least  implying  that  sis 
the  Son  of  Man,  obeying  the  Father's  will   the 
Holy  Spirit  impels  him  to  meet  the  great  tempter 
and  by  the  personal  conflict  help  toward  the  final 
victory  in  which  heaven  is  to   be  triumphant  over 
hell.  " 

(d)  But  the   Master  himself  recognizes  not 
only  this  manifest  control  in  his  earthly  life,  but 
that  his  works  were  wrought  by  the  agency  of  the 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  37 

Holy  Spirit.  When  the  Pharisees  accused  him  of 
being  in  league  with  the  Prince  of  Devils,  when 
he  cast  out  devils  from  men,  he  showedthe  incon- 
sistency of  their  argument,  the  utter  impossibility 
of  so  securingthis  result,  and  then  adds,  "But  if  I 
cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  then  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  come  unto  you."  Matt.  12:28. 
Thus  clearly  setting  forth  their  entire  co-opera- 
tion. 

(e)  The  Apostle  writing  the  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  brings  to  our  notice  an  additional  fact  of 
great  Importance  in  this  connection.  It  is  the  re- 
lationship of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  vicarious 
sacrifice  of  Christ,  at  the  close  of  his  holy  life  on 
earth.  "  If  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and 
the  ashes  of  an  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean, 
sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  flesh  ;  How  much 
more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the 
eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  or  fault 
to  God,  purge  your  conscience  from  dead  works 
to  serve  the  living  God?"  Heb.  9:13,  14.  These 
words  clearly  reveal  that  the  rectitude  of  the 
Master's  life  making  his  offering  an  efficacious 
one  was  secured  through  the  eternal  Spirit.  It  is 
to  this  same  truth  that  Paul  calls  attention  when 
he  says  «« Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness.  He 
who  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,  justified  or  made 


38  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

righteous  in  the  Spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached 
among  the  nations,  believed  on  in  the  world,  re- 

O  '  ' 

ceived  up  into  glory."  1  Tim.  3:16.  Thus  the 
offering  of  Christ  is  made  acceptable  and  sufficient 
by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(f )  Once  more  Paul  and  Peter  both  set  before 
us  the  truth  that  the  glory  .of   the  resurrection  of 
our   Lord  from   the  dead,  was   achieved  by   the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     "  Jesus  Christ    .    .    . 
was  declared  to    be  the  Son  of  God  with   power 
according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness  by  the  resurrec- 
tion  of  the  dead."      Rom.    1:4.     And   again: 
"The  Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus   Christ 
from  the  dead,  shall  quicken  also  your   mortal 
bodies."     Rom.  8  :11.     "Christ  also  suffered  for 
sins  once,  the  righteous  for  the  unrighteous,  that 
he  might  bring  us  to   God  ;  being  put  to  death  in 
the  flesh,  but  quickened  in  the  Spirit."     1  Peter 
3:18. 

(g)  The  final  specific  co-operation  is  the  glori- 
fication  of    Christ ;    the  helping   to  extend  the 
Master's    kingdom    by   revealing   Christ    to   the 
world.     The  ascended  Christ  has  taken  his   seat 
in  glory  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.     From 
the  place  of  intercession  he  has  sent  the  Spirit. 
When  he  made  the  promise  to  send  him, the  Master 
said  that  when  he  shall  come  "He  shall  glorify 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  39 

me,  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine  and  shall  shew  it 
unto  you."     John  16:14. 

Thus  from  the  beginning  of  the  Savior's  holy 
life  on  earth,  throughout  his  whole  mission  as  the 
Son  of  Man  is  the  co-operation  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  fully  established.  Whatever  separation  in 
person  there  may  be,  or  in  office,  their  co-opera- 
tion is  most  complete.  If  the  language  quoted 
above  has  any  real  meaning  it  certainly  implies 
that  Christ  on  the  earth,  as  Man,  recognized  his 
dependence  upon  the  Holy  Spirit.  Yea,  even 
more,  they  teach  that  the  only  woik  done  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  during  our  Lord's  earthly  life  was 
through  his  divine  person,  and  only  so  many  were 
moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Spirit  as  came  into  per- 
sonal contact  with  him,  or  to  whom  he  imparted 
personally  the  influence  or  power.  He  also  plain- 
ly taught  that  all  the  light  and  life  given  to  the 
disciples  came  through  himself  as  he  gave  the 
Spirit  to  them.  It  was  thus  a  personal  imparta- 
tion  from  Christ  to  those  who  received  either 
spiritual  light  or  life;  hence  he  declares,  "  It  is 
the  Spirit  that quickeneth,  the  flesh  profiteth  noth- 
ing, the  words  that  I  have  spoken  unto  you  are 
spirit  and  are  life."  John  6:63.  During  his 
earthly-  life  then  there  was  no  awakening,  no 
regeneration,  no  comforting,  no  guidance,  for  any 


40  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

soul  except  from  the  personal  Saviour  to  the  soul 
receiving  him  and  his  Words. 

Wonderous,  mysterious  limitations.  The  Spirit 
was  with  Christ,  but  he  had  not  yet  been  given 
to  the  world  and  would  not — could  not  be,until 
Christ  had  finished  his  work  and  gone  to  the 
Father. 

A  multitude  of  questions  growing  out  of  this 
mystery  of  godliness  present  themselves  to  the 
student :  but  their  answer  and  the  solution  of  the 
mystery  are  well  left  until  we  walk  in  the  clearer 
light  of  eternity.  But  one  significant  truth,  or 
queiy  rather,  does  press  upon  us  for  practical 
answer.  It  is  this:  If  the  Christ,  who  became 
man,  if  the  son  of  God  in  his  incarnation,  was  in 
any  sense  dependent  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
success  in  His  mission,  how  much  more  are  we, 
who  with  corrupt  natures  and  inherited  tendency 
to  sin  are  pressing  toward  eternity  ?  If  his  triumph 
in  the  dark  hours  of  temptation  and  conflict  and 
death  was  made  possible  only  through  the  Holy 
Spirit,  what  shall  be  our  condition  if  we  have  not 
his  aid?  In  him  was  no  sin  ;  we  are  born  in  sin 
and  conceived  in  iniquity.  No  wonder  that  the 
Master  by  precept  and  example  would  impress 
upon  us  our  greater  need.  No  wonder  that  the 
message  to  Nicodomus  in  the  garden,  "  Ye  must 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  41 

be  born  from  above ' '  has  come  with  startling  power 
to  careless  sinners  in  every  suceeding  age. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now, 
and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end.  Amen." 


42  [THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


CHRIST'S  TEACHING  CONCERNING  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT. 

Christ  held  before  the  disciples  continually  the 
importance  of  one  promised  blessing.  He  taught 
them  to  pray  for  it,  to  look  for  its  fulfillment, 
to  realize  their  need  of  it.  That  promise  was  the 
coming  and  the  abiding  presence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

(a)  We  have  seen,  when  the  second  Elijah, 
John,  the  harbinger,  stood,  the  last  in  the  long 
line  of  holy  prophets,  declaring  the  soon  advent 
of  the  Messiah,  he  also  promised  the  bestowment 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  overwhelming  power  :  "I 
indeed  baptize  you  in  water  unto  repentance,  but 
he  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than  I,  whose 
shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear,  he  shall  baptize 
you  with  (in)  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  (in) 
fire."  Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:8;  Luke  3:1(5;  Acts 
1 :5.  Some  light  may  be  thrown  on  this  wonder- 
ful promise  made  by  John,  if  we  make  a  compar- 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  43 

ison  of  the  various  texts  in  which  the  promise 
recurs.  It  will  be  noticed  by  reading  the  texts 
noted  above,  that  in  Acts  1:2,  the  Lord  omits 
the  expression  used  by  John,  "and  in  fire," 
The  significance  of  this  expression  will  be  con- 
sidered more  fully  in  another  chapter,  but  here 
it  is  important  to  notice  that  the  promise  of  im- 
mediate blessing,  and  upon  which  our  Lord  laid 
emphasis,  was  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  evidently  conveyed  to  the  minds  of  those  hear- 
ing it,  that  it  was  a  blessing  never  before  enjoyed 
and  one  that  could  only  be  bestowed  subsequent 
to  the  Master's  earthly  life.  No  wonder  then 
that  John  and  the  apostles  came  to  look  to  this 
blessing  as  one  of  the  most  important  to  come  as 
a  result  of  our  Lord's  life 'and  work.  No  won- 
der that  our  Master,  understanding  better  than 
they  the  need  for  this  blessing,  should  continual- 
ly seek  to  impress  upon  them  this  blessing  for 
which  they  were  to  pray  and  wait,  even  while  a 
world  was  perishing.  If  some  light  of  life 
had  stolen  through  the  darkness  of  sin  upon  men 
here  and  there,  hitherto,  now  under  the  Mes- 
siah's rule  there  was  to  be  fullness  of  blessing  upon 
all.  If  he  had  come  to  some  by  measure  in  the 
past,  the  present,  in  which  John  preached,  was 
the  beginning  of  the  most  glorious  future  in 


44  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

which  the  light,  as  sent  by  Christ,  was  to  shine 
unto  all,  and  blessing  was  to  be  in  fullness  and 
upon  all. 

(b)  Early  in  his  own  ministry  the  Master  be- 
gan to  impress  upon  the  apostles  the  necessity  of 
seeking  for  this  promised  blessing  of  the  imme- 
diate presence  and  fullness  of  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  There  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that 
the  disciples,  prior  to  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  only  received  him  by  measure,  as  had  been 
true  of  others  in  previous  periods.  Some  meas- 
ure of  spiritual  light,  and  some  measure  of  spir- 
itual power  was  theirs,  as  it  had  been  of  holy 
men  who  lived  before  them  ;  but  the  Master 
taught  them  to  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to 
seek  the  baptism  which  had  been  promised  by 
John.  So  we  read  that  when  they  came,  saying : 
"Teach  us  to  pray,"  he  not  only  unfolded  to 
them  the  ideal  form  of  prayer,  and  the  blessings 
to  follow  its  use,  but  he  gave  them  to  know  that 
the  highest  of  blessings  would  be  given  to  them 
in  answer  to  prayer — even  the  Holy  Spirit  him- 
self. From  the  analogy  of  the  earthly  parent 
he  draws  the  lesson:  "If  ye  then  being  evil 
know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children, 
how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  45 

the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him."  Luke 
11:13. 

(c)  This  declaration  undoubtedly  refers  both 
to  their  present  and  future  reception  of  his  bless- 
ings, for  no  fact  was  more  fully  impressed  by  our 
Lord  upon  the  disciples  than  their  personal  need 
of,  and  dependence  upon,  the  Holy  Spirit  both 
during  our  Lord's  personal  ministry  and  after 
his  ascension.  To  this  end  they  were  assured 
they  were  not  to  fear  persecution.  "  And  when 
they  bring  you  unto  the  synagogue  and  magis- 
trates and  powers,  take  yo  no  thought  how  or 
what  thing  ye  shall  answer,  or  what  ye  shall  say, 
for  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  teach  you  in  the  same 
hour  what  ye  ought  to  say."  Luke  12:11,  12. 

Thus  setting  forth  both  their  dependence  on 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  fact  that  he  vouchsafed 
to  them  his  presence  and  power  only  as  there 
came  necessity  for  it  by  measure.  Toward  a 
fuller  blessing  they  were  directed  to  look.  A 
significant  statement  is  made  by  John,  showing 
this  fact  where  he  recounts  the  Lord's  discourse 
in  Jerusalem  at  the  last  great  day  of  the  feast, 
when  he  sent  forth  the  universal  invitation  to  come 
to  him  for  the  water  of  life,  and  gives  the  assur- 
ance that  everyone  thus  coining  shall  become  in 
turn  a  source  of  spiritual  life  flowing  to  others: 


46  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

and  John  adds:  "But  this  spake  he  of  the 
Spirit  which  they  that  believed  on  him  were  to 
receive,  for  the  Spirit  was  not  yet  given  ;  because 
Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified."  John  7:37-39. 
Thus,  step  by  step,  the  Master  leads  the  disciples 
not  only  to  see  their  present,  but  also  their  future 
need  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(d)  But  it  was  when  he  was  passing  into  the 
deep  shadows  of  suffering,  which  gathered  over 
the  close  of  his  life,  and  when  the  disciples  be- 
gan to  realize  their  own  sad  orphanage,  that  he 
unfolds  most  clearly,  not  only  the  immediate 
coining  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  the  fullness  of 
blessing  to  follow  his  advent.  "  I  will  not  leave 
you  desolate,"  was  the  promise.  The  sorrow  at 
his  absence  was  to  be  more  than  compensated  for 
to  them  by  the  wonderful  seven-fold  work  the 
Holy  Comforter  would  accomplish  for  and  in 
them. 

Notice  the  following  passages  in  order  : 

1.  "I  shall  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give 
you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may  be  with  you 
forever,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth  ;  whom  the  world 
cannot  receive  ;  for  it  beholdeth  him  not,  neither 
knoweth  him  ;  for  he  abideth  with  you  and  shall 
be  in  you."  John  14:1(5-17. 

2.  "  The  Comforter — the  Holy   Spirit — whom 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  47 

the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach 
you  all  things  and  bring  to  your  remembrance  all 
that  I  said  unto  you."  John  14  :26. 

3.  "When  the   Comforter   is  come,  whom  I 
shall  send  unto  you  from  the  Father,  the  Spirit 
of  Truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he 
shall  bear  witness  of  me ;  and  ye  also  bear  wit- 
ness, because  ye  have  been  with  me  from  the  be- 
ginning/' John  15  :26-27. 

4.  "Nevertheless,  Itell  you  the  truth,  it  is  expe- 
dient for  you  that  I  go  away  ;  for  if  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you;  but 
if  J  go,  I   will   send   him  unto   you.     And   he, 
when  he  has  come,  will  convict  the  world  in  re- 
spect of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judg- 
ment ;  of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me  :  of 
righteousness,  because  I  go  to  the  Father,  and  ye 
behold  me  no   more  ;   of  judgment,  because  the 
Prince  of  this  world  is  judged."  John  16:7-11. 

5.  "I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you, 
but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now.     Howbeit,    when 
he,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come,  he  shall  guide 
you  into  all  the  truth  ;  for   he   shall  not   speak 
from    himself,   but  whatsoever  things   he   shall 
hear,  them  shall  he  speak."  John  16  :13. 

6.  "  And  he  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things 
that  are  to  come."  John  16  :13. 


48  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

7.  "  He  shall  glorify  me  ;  for  he  shall  take  of 
mine,  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you."  John  16  :14. 

An  analysis  of  the  above  passages,  taken  from 
the  Passover  discourse  of  our  Lord,  will  show  us 
the  general  work  to  be  wrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
when  he  should  come,  after  our  Lord's  departure : 

1.  He  was  to  dwell  in  the  disciples. 

2.  He  was  to  teach  them  in  their  work. 

3.  Bring  to  memory  the  personal  teaching  of 
the  Lord. 

4.  To  testify  or  witness  concerning  Christ. 

5.  He  was  to  work  conviction  in  the  world. 

6.  He  was  to  guide  into  all  the  truth. 

7.  He  was  to  glorify  Christ  in  the  Church  on 
the  earth. 

These  assurances  and  declarations  coming  from 
our  Lord  on  the  eve  of  his  departure,  came  to  the 
disciples  with  great  value.  They  did  not  under- 
stand the  full  import  of  this  teaching,  but  they 
were  strengthened,  and  afterward  they  realized 
the  full  meaning.  This  full  meaning  will  ap- 
pear yet  more  clearly  in  our  further  study,  as  we 
analyze  this  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  shall 
see  what  depth  of  meaning  there  was  in  these 
words  of  our  Lord  to  the  disciples  sent  ferth  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  found  a  kingdom  in  a 
world  loving  sin  and  hating  righteousness.  No 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  49 

phase  of  their  mission  to  the  world,  as  the  pro- 
claimers  of  the  gospel,  would  fail  to  need  and 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence.  Their  minds 
were  to  be  enlightened;  their  questions  answered  ; 
their  difficulties  solved  by  his  divine  power.  The 
conversion  of  the  world  was  dependent  upon  his 
coming.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  would  be 
of  no  value  without  his  aid.  The  infant  Church 
would  grow  to  gigantic  proportions  only  as  he 
should  dwell  in  her  midst.  The  disciple  cast  into 
personal  conflict  with  sin  and  Satan  would  be  but 
a  puny  contestant  except  as  the  Holy  Spirit  en- 
dued him  with  divine  power.  That  this  was  the 
significance  of  our  blessed  Lord's  teaching  will 

O  ^3 

be  fully  apparent  in  our  future  study.  As  we 
have  said,  the  disciples  evidently  did  not  realize 
the  full  import  of  these  words  until  the  blessing 
came,  but  much  of  encouragement  evidently  did 
come  to  them  as  the  Master  sat  with  them  in  the 
shadow  of  his  own  great  passion  and  unfolded 
these  promises.  It  reveals  to  us  the  tender  depths 
of  the  Savior's  love  when  he,  so  near  his  own 
agony,  could  wait  to  comfort  and  assure  the  apos- 
tles by  these  precious  words  of  instruction  and 
promise. 

The  dark  hours  which  witnessed  the  tragedy  of 
Calvary  came  all   too  soon  for  the  disciples  in 


50  THE    HOLY    SP1KIT. 

spite  of  the  Muster's  comfort.  The  atonement 
is  made  for  the  sin  of  the  world.  In  the  mantle 
of  night,  during  the  day  of  suffering,  the  whole 
earth  waited  for  the  end  to  come.  At  last,  with 
the  cry,  "  It  is  finished  !"  he  gave  up  his  spirit. 
John  19  :30.  And  the  end  of  the  suffering  for 
the  Son  of  Man  had  come.  They  buried  him; 
the  morning  of  the  third  day  witnessed  his  tri- 
umph over  death  and  hades.  In  the  resurrection 
body  the  Master  walks  among  his  disciples,  giving 
them  every  evidence  of  the  reality  of  his  resur- 
rection, and  teachingthem  concerning  their  work. 
At  last  he  comes  for  the  final  visit  to  Jerusalem. 
From  the  city  of  David  he  leads  them  forth  across 
Kedron,  and  up  the  side  of  Mt.  Olivet,  until  at, 
near,  the  summit  he  stopped  with  the  apostles. 
He  gives  to  them  the  great  commission.  To  them 
he  entrusts  henceforth  the  visible  direction  and 
development  of  his  kingdom  on  the  earth.  But 
for  this  great  work  they  must  remember  the 
needed  and  promised  co-operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  « '  Thus  it  is  written  that  the  Christ  should 
suffer  and  rise  again  from  the  dead  the  third  day  ; 
and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should 
be  preached  in  his  name,  unto  all  the  nations,  be- 
ginning from  Jerusalem.  Ye  are  witnesses  of 
these  things.  And  behold,  I  send  forth  the  prom- 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  51 

ise  of  my  Father  upon  you  ;  but  tarry  ye  in  the 
city,  until  ye  be  clothed  with  power  from  on 
high."  Luke  24:46-49,  "Ye  shall  receive  pow- 
er when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you,  and 
ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me  both  in  Jerusalem 
and  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria  and  unto  the  utter- 
most part  of  the  earth.  And  when  he  had  spoken 
these  things,  as  they  were  looking,  he  was  taken 
up  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight." 
Acts  1 :8,  9. 

Thus  with  the  promise  again  repeated,  and 
with  the  ascension  of  our  Lord,  closed  the  old 
dispensations ;  so  far  as  the  power  and  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  concerned — despensations 
involved  in  much  obscurity.  They  were  dispen- 
sations of  darkness,  of  sin,  of  groping  after  the 
light,  of  partial  revelations,  through  patriarch, 
law-giver,  priest  and  prophet.  The  only  hope 
offered  to  man  was  through  the  keeping  of  a 
moral  law  and  belief  in  a  coming  Messiah,  pre- 
figured to  them  in  sacrifices  and  offerings.  But 
now  the  Messiah  had  come ;  his  signs  had  been 
given  to  men;  his  teachings  had  been  given  to 
his  disciples ;  his  sacrifice  for  sin  had  been  made, 
and  he  had  now  ascended  to  the  Father.  From 
thence  he  would  send  the  Spirit  to  control  and 
develop  the  new  and  last  dispensation  of  grace  to 


52  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

men.  For  the  Spirit's  advent  the  disciples  wait- 
ed at  Jerusalem.  For  his  advent  the  world  was 
ready,  so  far  as  it  ever  could  be,  until  sin  was 
banished  by  his  power  and  the  blessings  of  his 
presence  realized. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  53 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

Ten  days  of  prayer  by  the  disciples  in  "the  up- 
per room"  at  Jerusalem  followed  the  ascension  of 
our  Lord.  Not  only  had  he  promised  them  the 
needed  power  and  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
but  as  he  stood  in  their  midst  after  his  resurrec- 
tion "  he  had  breathed  on  them  and  said  unto  them, 
Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit.  Whosoever  sins  ye 
forgive,  they  are  forgiven  unto  them  ;  whoseso- 
ever sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  John 
20  :22.  Thus  in  symbol  teaching  them  that  as  in 
the  beginning,  "God  breathed  into  man  the  breath 
of  life  and  man  became  a  living  soul,"  Gen.  2:7, 
so  now  spiritual  life  was  to  be  secured  only  by 
the  quickening  power  of  an  inbreathed  Holy  Spirit. 
So  they  understood  the  Master,  and  so  they  wait- 
ed the  fulfillment  of  his  promise.  Not  only  had 
he  never  deceived  them,  but  he  had  always  gone 
beyond  their  hopes.  So  it  was  to  be  now.  They 
had  desired  a  temporal  kingdom,  they  were  to 


54  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

receive  a  spiritual  kingdom.  They  had  desired 
to  crown  him  King  of  the  Jews  ;  they  were  to 
help  to  prepare  the  world  for  the  grander  corona- 
tion of  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings.  These 
things  they  did  not  know.  They  should  know 
hereafter.  "And  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  was 
now  come  they  were  all  together  in  one  place. 
And  suddenly  there  came  from  heaven  a  sound 
as  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled 
the  house  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there 
appeared  unto  them  tongues  parting  asunder  like 
as  of  fire ;  and  it  sat  upon  each  one  of  them.  And 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  be- 
gan to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
them  utterance."  Acts  2:2-4.  We  are  left  in 
no  doubt  as  to  the  fact  that  this  wonderful  mani- 
festation was  the  beginning  of  the  fulfillment  of 
Christ's  promise.  The  Apostle  Peter,  standing 
up  with  the  eleven,  in  plain  language  declares 
that:  "This  is  that  which  hath  been  spoken  by 
the  prophet  Joel :  And  it  shall  be  in  the  last  days, 
saith  God,  I  will  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh :  And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy,  and  your  young  man  shall  see  visions, 
And  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams.  Yea, 
and  on  my  servants  and  on  my  handmaidens  in 
these  days  will  I  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit;  and 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  55 

they  shall  prophesy.     *  *     And  it  shall  be, 

that  whosever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  saved."  Acts  2:  16:21.  And  then 
having  set  forth  in  brief  form  the  main  facts  of 
Christ's  life  and  death  he  adds :  "This  Jesus  did 
God  rarse  up,  whereof  \ve  all  are  witnesses.  Being 
therefore  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and 
having  received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  he  hath  poured  forth  this  which  ye 
see  and  hear."  Acts  2:33.  And  when  having 
awakened  them  to  the  sin  of  rejecting  and  cruci- 
fying Christ,  they  cry  out,  "What  shall  we  do?" 
"Peter  said  unto  them  :  Repent  ye,  and,  be  bap- 
tized every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
unto  the  remission  of  your  sins  and  ye  shall  re- 
ceive the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  For  to  you  is 
the  promise,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that 
are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  God  shall 
call  unto  him."  Acts  2  :  37-39.  In  this  account 
we  have  the  record  of  the  first  revealed  presence 
and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  after  our  Lord's 
ascension  and  in  fulfillment  of  his  promise.  A 
few  days  later  a  similar,  but  somewhat  less  strik- 
ing, manifestation  of  the  power  and  presence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  given,  setting  forth  the  work 
in  the  midst  of  Jtulea.  The  band  of  disciples 
were  struggling  against  the  rising  tide  of  opposi- 


56  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

tionfrom  the  Jews.  The  hatred  which  had  vented 
itself  against  the  Lord  until  it  secured  his  death, 
now  sought  the  destruction  of  his  faithful  dis- 
ciples ; 

The  disciples  turned  to  the  Lord  in  prayer  for 
direction  and  deliverance.  "  And  when  they  had 
prayed,  the  place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were 
gathered  together  ;  and  they  were  all  filled  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  they  spake  the  Word  of  God 
with  boldness."  Acts  4:31.  With  such  manifest 
tokens  of  Divine  approval  and  co-operation,  they 
had  learned  that  the  work  was  not  to  be  limited 
to  a  narrow  boundary.  Accordingly,  in  a  few 
months,  under  the  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
Philip  went  into  Samaria  that  he  might  preach 
the  gospel;  and  "when  they  believed  Philip 
preaching  good  tidings  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  were 
baptized,  both  men  and  women."  "When  the 
apostles,  who  were  at  Jerusalem,  heard  that 
Samaria  had  received  the  Word  of  God,  they  sent 
unto  them  Peter  and  John  ;  who,  when  they  were 
come  down,  prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Spirit;  for  as  yet  he  was  fallen  up- 
on none  of  them  ;  only  they  had  been  baptized  into 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Then  laid  they  their 
hands  on  them,  and  they  received  the  Holy 


THE   HOLY  SPIRIT.  57 

% 

Spirit."  Acts  8  :5-17.  This  work  meeting  with 
divine  approval ,  prosecuted  under  divine  leader- 
ship, sustained  by  divine  power,  continued  in 
Jerusalem,  Judea  and  Samaria  for  several  years 
without  any  attempt  at  territorial  enlargement. 
But  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  must  be  carried 
unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  They  who 
knew  the  truth  and  had  been  blessed  by  its  accept- 
ance were  to  be  witnesses  of  it  to  all  nations. 
Such  an  enlargement  of  the  work  demanded  a 
fitting  inauguration.  T.he  narrow  prejudices  of 
the  Jews  must  be  broken  down.  There  must  be 
no  chance  for  any  disciple  to  believe  that  all  were 
not  equal  under  the  blessings  of  Christ's  kingdom. 
The  Gentiles  must  be  brought  into  his  kingdom. 
At  Cesarea  this  work  was  inaugurated.  A  certain 
man  there,  "Cornelius,  by  name  *  *  *  a 
devout  man  and  one  that  feared  God  " — was  the 
first  convert  from  the  Gentile  world.  To  this 
man,  by  special  instruction,  Peter  was  sent  to  un- 
fold to  him  the  gospel.  His  own  prejudices  as  a 
Jew  were  overcome  by  the  vision  of  the  sheet  let 
down  from  heaven,  and  to  Cornelius  he  came  and 
presented  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and 
"  while  Peter  yet  spoke  these  words,  the  Holy 
Spirit  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the  word. 
And  they  of  the  circumcision  who  believed  were 


58  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

amazed,  as  many  as  came  with  Peter,  because 
that  on  the  Gentiles  also  was  poured  out  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  For  they  heard  them  speak 
with  tongues,  and  magnify  God."  Acts  10:44, 
45.  Thus  to  Cornelius  and  his  kinsmen  and 
friends  came  a  repetition  of  the  visible  as  well  as 
the  internal  manifestations  of  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Thus  was  carried  to  the  apostles 
the  conviction  of  the  universality  of  the  gospel 
proclamation,  and  Peter  could  with  emphasis 
raise  the  question:  "  Can  any  man  forbid  the 
water,  that  these  should  not  be  baptized  who  have 
received  the  Holy  Spirit  as  well  as  we?"  Acts 
10  :47. 

The  news  of  this  wonderful  work  and  of  the 
apostolic  reception  of  uncircumcised  Gentile 
members  into  the  Christian  Church  soon  spread 
throughout  Judea  and  the  narrow  conceptions  of 
the  Jewish  Christians  speedily  refused  to  accept 
so  strange  an  innovation.  Peter  accordingly  soon 
returned  to  Jerusalem  :md  insisted  upon  the  right- 
eousness of  his  work  and  the  evident  intention  of 
the  Lord  in  it,  because  of  his  bestowment  of  the 
Spirit's  power  and  presence.  Having  recounted 
to  the  Church  at  Jerusalem  the  way  in  which  the 
Lord  led  and  instructed  him,  he  added  :  "  And  as 
I  began  to  speak,  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  them 


THE    HOLY   8PIRIT.  59 

even  as  on  us  at  the  beginning.  And  I  remem- 
bered the  word  of  the  Lord,  how  that  he  said, 
John  indeed  baptized  with  water;  but  ye  shall  be 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  then  God  gave 
unto  them  the  like  gift  as  he  did  also  unto  us, 
when  we  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
was  I  that  I  could  withstand  God."  Acts  11: 
15-17. 

From  this  time  forward  the  gospel  was  carried 
into  all  the  adjacent  countries  by  the  apostles. 
Paul  had  been  converted  and  became  by  divine 
direction  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  He 
pressed  forward  in  his  work  throughout  all  Asia 
Minor  and  then  into  Europe.  It  was  in  the  pro- 
secution of  this  work  that  he  came  to  Ephesus, 
where  he  had  made  a  promise  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel. When  he  reached  the  city  he  found  that 
Apollos  had  already  began  the  work,  but  had  not 
been  baptizing  the  converts  into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  since  he 
knew  only  of  John's  baptism.  This  made  it  nec- 
essary that  Paul  should  correct  the  instruction; 
and  to  this  end  he  gave  command  that  they  should 
be  rebaptized.  After  their  rebaptism,  "when 
Paul  had  laid  hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Spirit 
came  on  them  ;  and  they  spake  with  tongues  and 
prophesied."  Acts  19  :  1-6.  Thus  by  the  visible 


60  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

manifestations  of  the  Spirit's  presence  giving  the 
divine  seal  of  approval  to  the  correction,  instruc- 
tion, and  work  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 

Thus  have  we  sketched  the  several  occasions 
on  which  the  visible  evidences  of  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  occurred.  Two  important  facts 
are  here  set  forth  and  should  be  carefully  noted. 
The  first  is  that  the  order  in  these  visible  mani- 
festations is  the  same  as  that  given  by  our  Lord 
in  the  great  commission,  viz.,  Jerusalem,  Judea, 
Samaria,  and  then,  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth.  By  divine  command  the  apostles  were 
directed  to  carry  forward  the  work  in  this  specific 
order,  and  by  the  visible,  miraculous  manifesta- 
tions in  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  repeated 
at  the  inauguration  of  each  advance  movement 
the  divine  endorsement  was  given  to  the  work. 
So  that  in  this  specific  order  the  Holy  Spirit  wit- 
nessed to  Christ  by  enabling  the  disciples  to  speak 
with  tongues  and  prophesy. 

The  second  is  that  the  apostles  subsequently,  if 
not  at  the  time,  understood,  and  we  to-day  also 
understand,  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
at  the  period  under  consideration  included  two 
distinct  kinds,  or  phases,  of  manifestation.  The 
advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  in  the  world  was 
accompanied  with  two  kinds  of  revelation,  and 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  61 

both  were  included  in  one  term,  "  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit."  There  was  the  external,  visi- 
ble and  temporary;  the  sound,  the  tongues  part- 
ing asunder,  the  speaking  in  tongues  unlearned, 
the  power  of  prophesy.  These  constituted  the 
visible  and  miraculous  appeal  to  the  physical 
senses  ;  such  an  appeal  as  God  has  made  in  the 
inauguration  of  a  new  dispensation  always. 

Then  there  was  the  invisible,  the  internal  and 
the  permanent  influences.  Those  which  consti- 
tuted the  real  blessing  promised  by  the  Lord  per- 
sonally to  the  disciples,  and  which  was  considered 
in  the^  last  chapter.  These  were  to  continue  al- 
ways and  these  constituted  the  real  and  essential 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
here  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  called 
in  Luke  24:  49,  an  endument,  or  clothing  with 
power.  This  power  was  to  be  theirs  not  in  meas- 
ure, not  meagrely,  but  completely  equiping  them 
for  service.  It  becomes  apparent  that  this  defin- 
tion,  given  by  the  Lord,  makes  the  real  baptism 
to  consist  in  the  internal  and  the  invisible,  rather 
than  the  external  and  visible  ;  and  that  the  latter 
were  only  secondary  to  the  former.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  by  the  term  "  Baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  "  much  more  is  implied  than  either  the 
miraculous  manifestations,  or  the  endowment  of 


62  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

power,  or  both  combined.  In  fact  it  becomes 
apparent  from  our  Lord's  own  association  of 
thought  injthe  teaching  of  John  16th  chapter  with 
the  promise  as  recorded  in  Acts  1st  chapter  that 
he  included  the  whole  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  promise  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
And  the  Apostle  Peter  evidently  so  understood 
the  teaching  when  in  Acts  2  :39,  he  affirms  that 
the  blessing  is  continuative,  abiding  and  per- 
manent. The  conclusion  then,  from  the  Master's 
teaching  and  Peter's  interpretation  is,  that  the 
entire  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  inaugurated  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  and  to  continue  unto  the  end  of 
time,  including  the  temporary  external,and  abid 
ing  internal  manifestations,  from  the  hour  of  the 
sinners  awakening,through  his  conversion,  justifi- 
cation, sanctification,  and  redemption,  is  the  real 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  the  promised 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  be  considered  in  its 
connection  with  our  Lord's  statements  as  record- 
ed in  John  15  and  16  chapters, it  becomes  evident 
that  nothing  less  than  the  entire  work  was  intend- 
ed to  be  included  in  the  expression,  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  thus  including  the  two-fold  word,of 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  and  power  to 
serve  the  living  Christ. 

When  we  remember  that  the  baptism  of  the 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  63 

Holy  Spirit  must  precede  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  in  all  nations,  and  that  he  was  to  be  the 
active  agent  with  the  apostles  and  the  subsequent 
ministry  in  thus  proclaiming  the  gospel  to  all  peo- 
ples, we  can  see  a  striking  significance  in  these 
external  manifestations  as  they  appeared  and 
formed  part  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
These  four  epihanies  brought  to  the  disciples  the 
endowment  of  prophesy  and  of  speaking  with 
tongues,  possibly  together  with  physical  healing 
as  incidental  and  symbolical  of  spiritual  healing. 
And  thus  there  was  symbolized  the  great  work  of 
the  Churchin  becoming  the  proclaimer  of  the 
gospel  of  the  crucified,  risen  and  ascended  Christ, 
and  by  this  means  to  conquer  the  world  for  Christ. 
But  beyond  this  symbolism  and  visible  revelation 
they  were  to  receive  endument  of  power,  a  sancti- 
fication  of  energy,  a  direction  of  life  fitting  them 
for  this  great  work.  The  disciples  and  the  Church 
should  ever  realize  this  latter  and  real  gift  of  the 
Spirit,  but  the  world  of  unsaved  would  behold 
this  external  manifestation  as  a  testimony  to  the 
physical  senses  that  spiritual  power  had  been 
given .  The  external  served  its  purpose  and  ceased 
with  the  personal  ministry  of  the  apostles.  The 
internal  has  never  ceased,  but  abides  with  the 


64  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Church  and  is  the  last  gift  of  heaven  toearth  for 
her  purification. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  wasin  the  beginning,  is  now, 
and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end.  Amen." 


THE  PROMISE. 


Our  blest  Redeemer,  ere  he  breathed 

His  tender  last  iarewell, 
A  Guide,  a  Comforter,  bequeathed 

With  us  to  dwell. 

He  came  sweet  influence  to  impart, 

A  gracious,  willing  guest 
While  he  can  fiudone  humble  heart 

Wherein  to  rest. 

And  his  that  gentle  voice  we  hear, 

Soft  as  the  breath  of  even, 
That  checks  each  thought,  that  calms  each  fear, 

And  speaks  of  heaven. 

And  every  virtue  we  possess, 

And  every  victory  won 
And  every  thought  of  holiness 

Are  his  alone. 

Spirit  of  purity  and  grace 

Our  weakness  pitying  see, 
And  make  our  hearts  thy  dwelling  place 

And  meet  for  thee.  — H.  Auber. 


THK  UGLY   SPIRIT.  65 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SINS    AGAINST    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

The  antagonism  on  earth  to  Christ  and  his  mis- 
sion was  intense.  The  natural  heart  rejected 
him  in  every  advance  he  made  to  help  men. 
Men  possessed  by  demons  met  him  and  resisted 
him.  The  prince  of  darkness  assailed  him  with 
temptation  in  every  form  and  during  his  entire 
ministry.  Men  reviled  him.  They  slandered 
and  blasphemed.  At  last  they  crucified  him.  It 
is  but  one  illustration  of  the  merciful  love  of 
the  Christ,  so  characteristic  of  his  whole  life, 
when  in  the  midst  of  their  sins  against  himself 
he  warns  them  of  the  danger  of  sinning  in  like 
manner  "against  the  Holy  Spirit  when  he  should 
come." 

1.  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  all  their  sins  shall 
be  forgiven  unto  the  sons  of  men,  and  their  blas- 
phemies wherewithsoever  they  shall  blaspheme  : 
but  whosoever  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy 
Spirit  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is  guilty  of  an 
eternal  sin  ;  because  they  said  he  hath  an  unclean 
spirit."  Mark  3:28-30;  Matt.  12:  24-32;  Luke 


66  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

12:10.  This  was  a  signal  of  danger .  The  clos- 
ing words  of  the  evangelist  afford  us  an  explana- 
tion for  his  warning,  and  suggest  a  key  for  its 
interpretation.  The  Pharisees  h.id  accused  the 
Master  of  being  in  league  with  Beelzebub,  the 
prince  of  devils,  and  by  Satanic  agency  casting 
out  devils  from  men.  This  the  Master  recognized 
as  blasphemy  against  himself.  It  was  malignant 
rejection  of  Christ  against  their  own  reason.  It 
was  devilish  imputation  to  Christ;  of  hellish  pur- 
poses against  the  clearest  evidence  to  the  contrary. 
Apply  the  same  principles  to  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  you  have  the  correct  defini- 
tion of  this  sin;  a  malignant,  wilful  rejection  of 
the  Holy  Spirit's  work  linked  with  an  imputing 
to  him  of  hellish  purposes  against  reason  and 
conclusive  evidence  to  the  contrary.  The  soul 
committing  this  sin  is  at  once  forsaken  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  forever  left  to  his  sin.  He  can 
have  no  spiritual  sensibility,  no  power  of  repent- 
ance, no  awakening  of  conscience,  no  desire  for 
salvation,  no  impulse  to  seek  God,  no  hope  for 
peace  or  pardon.  He  is  forever  lost  while  yet 
living  in  a  world  where  the  power  of  the  cross 
remains,  where  the  Bible  is  still  open,  where  the 
holy  ordinances  are  still  manifested  and  observed, 
where  the  Holy  Spirit  is  still  working  conviction 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  67 

to  sinners  and  comfort  to  saints.  This  sin  began 
in  thought,  grew  in  purpose,  and  was  completed 
in  deliberate,  open  act,  and  brings  its  fruit  in 
eternal  rejection.  It  is  the  only  sin  declared  to 
be  unpardonable,  and  is  not  to  be  confused 
with  any  other  siu  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  A 
clear  distinction  is  made  in  the  language  of  Scrip- 
ture, between  the  sin  for  which  God,  in  this  life 
and  before  death,  forever  rejects  the  soul,  and 
refuses  to  him  all  holy  influences ;  and  the  sin  by 
which  the  sinner  himself  continues  to  reject  God, 
though  God  pleads  with  him  even  unto  death. 
God's  rejection  of  the  sinner,  and  the  sinners  re- 
jection of  God,  are  two  things,  even  though  the 
ultimate  result  to  the  sinner  be  the  same. 

2.  This  leads,  then,  to  the  consideration  of  this 
sin,  as  set  forth  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews : 
"  A  man  that  has  set  at  naught  Moses'  law,  dieth 
without  compassion  on  the  word  of  two  or  three 
witnesses;  of  how  much  sorer  punishment,  think 
ye,  shall  he  be  judged  worthy  who  hath  trodden 
under  foot  the  Son  of  Man,  and  hath  counted 
the  blood  of  the  covenant  ....  an  un- 
holy thing,  and  hath  done  despite  unto  the  Spirit 
of  grace."  Heb.  10:21-29.  Here  the  sin  de- 
scribed, and  against  which  warning  is  given,  is 
where  the  sinner  having  come  to  the  knowledge 


68  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT. 

of  the  truth,  and  having  received  the  light  neces- 
sary to  enable  him  to  obey  the  truth,  treats  with 
contempt,  dispises  the  truth  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
who  comes  to  him  as  a  messenger  of  the  truth. 
The  spirit  has  not  forsaken  him,  but  he  has  for- 
saken the  spirit;  he  has  despised  the  Spirit  and 
his  work.  Practically  this  sin  works  as  great  ruin 
as  the  former,  but  it  lacks  the  malignant,  blas- 
phemous features  of  it.  That  they  are  closely 
related,  is  apparent,  but  that  they  are  not  the 
same  is  evident  from  the  terms  used  and  from  the 
context.  Most  truly  does  the  apostle  close  his 
word  of  warning  against  the  commission  of  the 
last  si  n,  by  the  solemn  declaration :  "It  is  a  fear- 
ful thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living 
God." 

3.  The  third  sin  against  which  the  soul  is 
warned,  is  that  charged  by  Stephen  upon  his  per- 
secutors :  "  Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumciscd  in 
heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy 
Spirit."  Acts  7:51.  In  every  effort  the  Holy 
Spirit  makes  to  awaken,  to  convict,  to  enlighten, 
the  soul  antagonizes  his  influence  and  his  power. 
Whether  his  message  be  delivered  by  prophet  or 
apostle,  or  if  he  come  by  his  own  revelations  and 
manifestations,  the  sinner  opposes  and  resists 
him.  That  this  sin  can  lead  to  great  crimes  is 


THE   HOLY  SPIRIT.  69 

evident  in  the  death  of  Stephen,  and  evident  also 
in  the  many  grevious  sins  committed  by  men  in 
-every  age,  when  they  resist  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  It  may  not  take  on  the  malignant 
features  of  blasphemy ;  it  may  not  be  so  fearfully 
ungrateful  as  despising  his  holy  love,  but  it  arrays 
the  sinner  in  open  antagonism  to  God's  love,  and 
if  continued,  leads  to  his  eternal  ruin.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  of  its  enormity.  When  the 
Holy  Spirit  would  awaken  that  he  might  save ; 
when  he  would  convince  that  he  might  heal ;  when 
he  would  arouse  that  he  might  lead  out  of  dan- 
ger ;  then  the  forces  of  the  whole  moral  and  spir- 
itual nature  in  man  are  turned  into  warfare 
against  him.  Still  he  does  not  turn  away  from 
the  sinner,  but  until  death  has  closed  the  day  of 
strife,  and  the  sinner  perishes  by  his  own  per- 
verseness  does  the  Spirit  seek  to  arouse,  convince 
and  save. 

4.  Against  two  of  the  early  members  of  the 
Church  in  Jerusalem  was  laid  the  charge  of  lying 
to  and  tempting  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  swift  exe- 
cution of  the  divine  sentence  leaves  no  room  for 
doubt  as  to  the  estimate  God  places  upon  this 
sin.  Its  character  is  best  learned  from  the  facts 
as  recorded.  The  covenant  voluntarily  made 
with  the  Church  was  not  kept.  Gross  deception 


70  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

was  resorted  to  that  the  Church  should  not  know 
the  truth.  They  coveted  that  which  they  had 
pledged  to  God,  and  then  sought  to  mislead  the 
Church  by  seeming  to  keep  the  covenant  made. 
But  Peter  said,  "Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  fijled 
thy  heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Spirit?  . 
Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  man,  but  unto  God." 
And  to  his  wife,  he  said:  "  How  is  it  that  ye 
have  agreed  together  to  tempt  the  Lord."  Acts 
5  :3,  9.  Again,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we 
find  this  language:  "Wherefore,  even  as  the 
Holy  Spirit  saith,  To-day  if  ye  shall  hear  his 
voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,  as  in  the  provoca- 
tion, like  as  in  the  day  of  the  temptation  in  the 
wilderness.  Wherewith  your  fathers  tempted 
me  by  proving  me,  and  saw  my  works  forty 
years."  Heb.  3:7,8.  This  term  "tempt"  is 
made  in  this  sin  synonomous  with  "  lying  to  the 
Holy  Spirit,"  and  evidently  implies  a"  turning 
away  from  the  covenant  obligation  which  the 
soul  has  made  with  God.  The  Jews  tempted — 
tried — God's  Spirit  by  desiring  to  turn  back  to 
Egypt  after  he  had  graciously  delivered  them 
and  they  had  enrolled  themselves  among  Ijis  peo- 
ple. Ananias  and  Sapphira  likewise  tempted 
God  by  desiring  to  go  back  to  the  world  after 
they  had  voluntarily  enrolled  themselves  among 


THF    HOLY   SPIRIT.  71 

God's  people  and  then  attempted  to  deceive  the 
Church  regarding  their  real  purpose.  So  the 
Christian  professor  of  to-day  who,  having  entered 
into  covenant  with  God's  people,  and  having  vol- 
untarily placed  himself  among  them,  turns  awa}r 
from  his  covenant,  and  attemps  to  deceive  the 
Church,  while  still  remaining  in  her  membership, 
is  tempting,  or  trying  the  Holy  Spirit.  Having 
pledged  to  the  Church  his  time,  his  influence  and 
his  means  he  is  under  obligation  to  keep  his 
pledge.  The  Church  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  the  wrong  he  commits  against  the 
Church  is  not  primarily  against  men,  but  is 
against  God — against  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
enormity  of  the  sin  is  easily  understood  when  we 
remember  the  fearful  condemnation  of  God  in 
the  judgment  here  recorded. 

5.  The  next  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
that  of  defiling  the  temple.  This  means  to 
destroy  the  Church  or  corrupt  the  body,  by  tak- 
ing away  the  sanctity  which  belongs  to  it. 
"  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God,  and 
the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?  If  any  man 
destroy  the  temple  of  God  him  shall  God 
destroy  ;  for  the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  which 
temple  ye  are."  1  Cor.  3  :16,  17.  Again  "  Know 
ye  not  that  your  body  is  a  temple  of  the  Holy 


72  THE   HOL.Y  SPIRIT. 

Spirit  which  is  in  you,  which  ye  have  from  God? 
And  ye  are  not  your  own;  for  ye  are  bought 
with  a  price :  glorify  God  therefore  in  your 
body."  1  Cor.  6:19,  20.  In  these  two  pas- 
sages the  apostle  is  emphasizing  the  sacredness 
of  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  first, 
the  Church,  as  the  temple,  is  considered.  In  the 
second,  the  body  of  the  believer.  The  destruc- 
tion or  defilement  is  substantially  the  same  in 
both.  It  is  the  perversion  of  the  temple  from  a 
holy  to  an  unholy  use.  In  the  Church,  as  an 
organized  body  of  believers,  this  sin  is  commit- 
ted when  the  Church  fails  to  recognize  Christ  as 
her  foundation  and  the  work  of  the  Church  to 
co-operate  with  God  in  saving  souls  and  develop- 
ing a  holy  life  in  Christians.  In  the  Christian's 
body  this  sin  consists  in  using  the  body  for 
unholy  and  impure  purposes  especially  as  the  sin 
may  take  the  form  of  fornication.  The  apostles 
realized  the  great  temptation  to  this  sin  both  in 
the  Church  and  in  the  believer,  and  knowing  this 
he  makes  the  warning  against  it  a  serious  matter. 
That  any  kindred  sin,  even  defrauding  a  brother, 
is  to  be  considered  as  an  abuse  of  the  body,  as 
the  abode  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  apparent  from 
the  language  of  Paul  where  he  urges  against  for- 
nication, concupisence  and  defrauding  a  fellow 


THE   HOLY  SPIRIT.  73 

Christian  and  adds:  "For  God  called  us  not  for 
uncleanness,  but  in  sanctification.  Therefore  he 
that  rejecteth,  rejecteth  not  man  but  God,  who 
giveth  his  Holy  Spirit  unto  you."  1  Thes.  4:7, 
8. 

6.  Another  sin  or  offence  against  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  which  the  Christian  is  peculiarly  liable 
and  from  the  commission  of  which  he  is  specially 
warned  is  that  stated  by  Paul  in  the  terse  lan- 
guage "  quench  not  the  Spirit."  1  Thes.  5  : 19. 
In  his  work  of  purifying  the  soul  from  all  cor- 
ruption, the  Holy  Spirit-  can  be  either  actively 
hindered  or  passively  nulified.  His  work  may 
thus  be  quenched  ill  the  soul.  The  professing 
Christian  may  by  antagonistic  means  overcome 
the  influence  of  the  Spirit  upon  his  own  soul  or 
upon  others.  His  daily  life ;  his  business  habits; 
his  social  relations  ;  his  "walk"  may  be  such  as 
to  over-power  in  large  measure  the  influence  of 
the  Spirit  as  he  seeks  to  purify  and  edify  and 
comfort  the  soul.  The  Christian  again  may  sim- 
ply be  indifferent  to  the  Spirit's  influences  and 
by  leaving  him  alone,  refusing  to  actively  co-op- 
erate so  render  largely  ineffective  the  Spirit's 
influence.  The  Spirit  ever  strives  to  lead  the 
disciple  to  higher  and  holier  life ;  to  purer  and 
nobler  purposes  ;  to  guide  into  duty  ;  to  over- 


74  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

come  temptation;  to,  in  fact,  prosecute  the 
great  work  of  the  Church  and  of  Christians  in 
the  world,  and  whatever  power  the  Christian  may 
use  against  such  influence  and  leading  of  the 

* —  o 

Spirit  is  quenching  his  power,  and  so  also  is  the 
simple  neglect  of  such  holy  influences.  By  these 
means  the  efficiency  of  the  Spirit  in  the  world  is 
largly  hindered. 

7.  A  final  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  is  that 
presented  by  Paul  when  considering  the  tempta- 
tion to  which  Christians  are  liable  in  speaking 
impure  language,  to  using  bitter  and  angry  words 
against  others.  He  says:  "Grieve  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God  in  whom  ye  were  sealed  unto  the 
day  of  redemption."  Eph.  4  : 30.  The  precepts 
enjoined  are  practical.  The  Christian  is  to  walk 
before  men  in  an  exemplary  way  manifesting  so 
far  as  possible  a  Christ-like  character.  That  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  grieved  when  unholy  actions,  im- 
pure words,  unkind  statements  are  found  in  his 
daily  walk,  is  but  a  sequence  to  his  own  holy 
nature  and  his  holy  work  on  earth.  Ye  are 
brethren  and  he  is  our  elder  brother  who  when  he 
was  reviled,  reviled  not  again;  who  taught  sim- 
plicity in  manner,  purity  in  word  and  thought, 
honesty  in  life  everywhere,  and  humility  in  ser- 
vice for  his  sake;  and  it  can  but  grieve  him 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  75 

sorely  if  we  walk  not  in  his  ways.  He  has 
sealed  us  unto  the  day  of  our  redemption,  when 
we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  hiui  as  he 
is. 

Here  we  have  set  before  us  seven  distinct  sins 
against  the  Holy  Spirit.  Each  carries  with  it  its 
own  penalty.  To  sin  against  God  the  Father  has 
been  grivous  enough,  since  such  sin  ruined  the 
race.  To  sin  against  the  beloved  Son  who  gave 
himself  for  us  is  still  greater  as  it  embodies 
enmity  with  deepest  ingratitude.  But  to  sin 
against  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  convincer,  and  com- 
forter, is  greater  still,  since  it  not  only  includes  all 
the  others  but  adds  to  these  transgression  against 
all  truth.  Let  the  soul  then,  whether  in  the  depths 
of  sin  or  in  the  way  of  life,  learn  the  enormity 
of  sinning  in  any  way  against  the  Holy  Spirit. 

" Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 

THE   WARNINGS. 

The  Spirit,  oh  sinner 
In  mercy  doeth  move 
Thy  heart  so  long  hardened 
Of  sin  to  reprove, 


76  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

Resist  not  the  Spirit 
Nor  longer  delay. 
God's  gracious  entreaties 
May  end  with  to-day. 

Defiled  is  the  temple 
Its  beauty  laid  low 
On  God's  holy  altar 
The  embers  faint  glow 
By  love  yet  rekindled 
A  flame  may  be  fanned. 
Oh  quench  not  the  Spirit 
The  Lord  is  at  hand. 


Oh  child  of  the  kingdom 
From  sin's  service  cease, 
Be  filled  .with  the  Spirit, 
With  comfort  and  peace, 
Oh  grieve  not  the  Spirit 
Thy  teacher  is  he, 
That  Jesus  thy  Savior 
May  glorified  be. 

—P.  P.  Bliss. 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  77 


CHAPTER  VII. 


WHAT  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  DOES  FOR  THE  SINNER. 

Part  of  the  work  promised  by  tho  blessed 
Master,  as  resulting  from  the  advent  of  the  Para- 
clete, was  to  be  his  influence  upon  the  unsaved. 
"  And  he,  whenhe  is  come,  will  convict  the  world 
in  respect  of  sin  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment ;  of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me;  of 
righteousness,  because  I  go  to  the  Father,  and  ye 
behold  me  no  more ;  of  judgment,  because  the 
prince  of  this  world  hath  been  judged."  John 
16:  8-11.  There  is  here  set  forth  clearly,  the 
doctrine  that  the  arousingof  the  soul  to  its  sinful 
condition,  of  the  need  of  righteousness,  and  of  the 
certainty  of  the  judgment, is  the  personal  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Without  his  secret  power  exerted 
in  this  threefold  conviction,  the  sinner  can  never 
come  to  Christ ;  will  never  seek  for  salvation  from 
s'in  or  its  consequences.  Before  the  sinner  will 
either  desire  or  seek  after  salvation,  he  must 
realize  his  true  condition  and  seek  for  divine  help. 


<  78  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

Both  the  knowledge  of  this  need  and  the  power 
to  seek  for  salvation  is  wrought  in  his  soul  by  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  in  the  words  of 
the  Lord  we  have  set  forth  the  trinity  of  convic- 
tion produced  in  the  heart  of  the  sinner,  showing 
him  how  he  has  offended  the  triune  God.  But 
this  declaration  of  our  Lord  in  this  closing  dis- 
course to  his  disciples  was  but  the  affirmation  of 
truths  already  in  part  set  forth.  Earlier  in  his 
ministry  he  had  set  before  them  the  truth  that  the 
power  to  receive  him  as  Savior,  and  the  efficiency 
of  the  Word  itself,  were  dependent  upon  the 
direct  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  From  the 
analogy  of  the  bread,  he  had  taught  them  that 
they  spiritually  must  be  made  partakers  of  himself, 
feeding  upon  him  in  order  to  the  maintenance  of 
spiritual  life.  It  was  one  of  the  Lord's  teachings 
hard  to  be  understood  without  the  enlightening  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  result  was,  many  of  his 
professed  followers  said:  "  This  is  a  hard  say- 
ing. .  .  .  But  Jesus  knowing  in  himself  that 
his  disciples  murmured  at  this,  said  unto  them, 
Doth  this  cause  you  to  stumble?  Wliat  then  if 
you  should  behold  the  Son  of  man  ascending 
where  he  was  before?  It  is  the  Spirit  that  quick- 
eneth  ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing  ;  the  words  that 
I  have  spoken  unto  you  are  Spirit  and  are  life. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  79 

But  there  are  some  of  you  that  believe  not." 
John  6 :  60-64.  Here  he  clearly  connects  the 
reception  of  spiritual  life,  and  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth  and  consequent  salvation  of  the  soul, 
with  his  ascension  and  the  resulting  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Genuine  discipleship  is  here  shown 
to  be,  not  simply  the  result  of  hearing  the  truth, 
but  the  application  of  that  truth  to  the  inner  life 
by  the  Spirit  of  God.  This  passage  was  his  own 
interpretation  of  his  other  declaration  that  **  no 
man  can  come  unto  me  except  it  be  given  unto 
him  of  the  Father."  John  6  :  64-65.  These  are 
strong  words.  They  carry  a  weight  of  meaning 
not  lightly  to  be  esteemed  by  the  sinner.  Every 
drawing  toward  God  is  not  of  his  own  will,  except 
as  that  will  is  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Every 
conviction  of  separation  from  God,  and  need  of 
God,  every  perception  of  the  truth  of  God's 
Word,  is  produced  in  the  mind  and  soul  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  It  becomes  a  matter  of  great 
moment  when  the  sinner,  for  any  reason,  sets 
aside  these  impressions  and  convictions.  He  is 
setting  aside  the  only  power  by  which  he  can 
come  to  God  and  find  salvation.  The  teachings 
of  the  apostles  but  add  emphasis  to  these  conclu- 
sions set  forth  from  the  Master's  own  words. 
Paul  says:  "I  give  you  to  understand  that  no 


80  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

man  speaking  in  the  Spirit  of  God,  saith  Jesus  is 
anathema  ;  and  no  man  can  say,  Jesus  is  Lord  but 
in  the  Holy  Spirit."  1  Cor.  12:3.  Here  the 
apostle  sets  forth  that  public  confession  of  Christ 
as  Lord — as  the  soul's  Lord — is  made  by  the 
power  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  John  also  says: 
"  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  every  Spirit 
that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh  is  of  God."  1  John  4  :  2. 

Thus  there  is  set  forth  clearly,  that  the 
sinner  is  dependent  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  for  con- 
viction. The  three-fold  conviction  already  con- 
sidered, viZj  the  reception  and  understanding  of 
the  divine  word  ;  for  the  power  to  receive  Christ 
as  Savior  ;  for  the  power  and  disposition  to  con- 
fess Christ  as  Lord  and  Master  before  men.  In 
other  words  the  Scriptures  plainly  teach  that  the 
sinner  is  dependent  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  in  secur- 
ing salvation  from  the  very  first  awakening  to  the 
fact  that  he  is  a  lost  soul  and  needing  a  Savior, 
until  the  work  of  grace  is  completed  in  his  con- 
fession of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  Savior.  No  creeds, 
no  forms,  no  morality,  no  Church  organization, 
no  service  can  bring  him  into  God's  Kingdom. 
The  Holy  Spirit,  operating  upon  his  heart,  some 
times  in  ceremonies,  some  times  in  forms,  some 
times  in  a  sound  creod,  always  with  the  Word  of 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  81 

God,  always  by  some  human  voice  bearing  the 
message,  awakens  him  to  his  true  condition,  and 
if  he  yields,  works  in  him  a  full  salvation. 

One  memorable  scene  in  the  life  of  our  Lord 
brings  plainly  before  the  mind  this  wonderful 
truth.  The  quiet  night  had  witnessed  the  Savior, 
as  was  his  custom,  seeking  the  garden  for  prayer 
and  meditation.  A  ruler  of  the  Jews  follows  him  • 
Together  they  sit  down  to  talk  of  the  kingdom  of 
God — the  spiritual  Christ  and  the  Rabbi,  knowing 
but  little  beyond  Jewish  forms  and  ceremonies. 
Read  the  record  :  "Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art 
a  teacher  come  from  God ;  for  no  man  can  do 
these  signs  that  thou  doest,  except  God  be  with 
him.  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him  :  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be  born 
anew,  (from  above)  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Nicodemus  saithunto  him,  How  can  a  man 
be  born  when  he  is  old?  Can  he  enter  a  second 
time  into  his  mother's  womb,  and  be  born?  Jesus 
answered,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except 
a  man  be  born  of  water  (i.  e.  out  of  water  in 
natural  birth)  and  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  in- 
to the  kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is  born  of 
the  flesh  is  flesh  (natural);  and  that  which  is 
born  of  the  Spirit  is  Spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I 
said  unto  thee,  ye  must  be  born  anew.  The  wind 


82  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the 
voice  thereof,  but  knowest  not  whence  it  cometh 
and  whither  it  goeth  ;  so  is  every  one  that  is  born 
of  the  Spirit."  John  3  :  1-8.  * 

It  was  substantially  this  truth  that  Paul  sought 
to  emphasize  when  he  declared;  "  The  kindness 
of  God  our  Savior,  and  his  love  toward  man,  ap- 
peared, not  by  works  done  in  righteousness,  which 
we  did  ourselves,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he 
saved  us, through  the  washing  (laver)  of  regener- 
ation and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  he 
poured  out  upon  us  richly,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Savior:  that  being  justified  by  his  grace,  we 
might.be  made  heirs  according  to  the  hope  of 
eternal  life."  Titus  3:  4-7.  The  essential  fact 
is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  renewing  the 
soul,  and  without  this  there  is  no  salvation.  So 
forcibly  is  this  truth  declared  in  God's  Word  that 

*  The  interpretation  here  given  to  the  expression 
"  born  out  of  water,"  is  not  vital  to  the  argument  or  line 
of  thought.  It  is  suggested  as  the  one  adopted  by  the 
author  on  thewell  known  principle  of  interpretation  that 
a  figurative  and  literal  reference  is  never  made  to  the 
same  thing  in  the  same  text.  The  same  principle  applies 
in  Matt.  3:  11.  In  the  passage  above,the  facts  of  natural 
birth,  the  close  connection  with  the  thought  in  the  pre- 
ceeding  and  succeeding  verses,  and  the  well  known  custom 
of  the  Jews  of  receiving  the  new  born  child  into  a  basin 
of  water  directly,  these  make  the  interpretation  seem 
correct. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  83 

there  is  nothing  strange  about  the  repeated 
emphasis  laid  upon  the  work  of  salvation,  as  being 
really  a  new  creation.  Not  a  re-modelling ;  not 
simply  a  transformation,  but  a  regeneration.  As 
in  the  beginning  God  created  the  worlds,  so  now 
he  recreates  the  soul,  and  as  in  the  beginning  the 
Holy  Spirit  brought  order  from  chaos,  beauty 
from  desolation,  life  from  death ;  so  now  he  also 
brings  spiritual  order  out  of  the  ruin  of  sin  and 
imparts  life  where  sin  reigned. 

In  Ephesians  2:10  we  read:  "We  are  his 
workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  for  [good 
works  which  God  afore  prepared  that  we  should 
walk  in  them."  In  2  Cor.  5:  17,  we  read  again, 
"Wherefore  if  any  man  is  in  Christ  he  is  a  new 
creature."  All  creation  is  by  divine  decree,  he 
speaks  and  it  is  done.  Creating  is  not  forming 
or  making  over  out  of  old  materials,  it  is  absolutly 
bringing  to  be,  that  which  was  not.  We  have  already 
seen  that  no  life  can  come  in  any  form  except  by 
divine  impartation  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  it 
is  then  who  comes  to  the  soul  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins,  absolutely  without  spiritual  life,  and 
imparts  the  germ  of  the  Christ  life  in  the  soul, 
thus  destroying  the  old  Adam  in  the  soul,  putting 
him  to  subjection  in  the  flesh,  and  creating  the 
new  Adam,  instead  that  he  may  reign  over  the 


84  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

whole  man.  Thus  he  creates  the  soul  anew  in 
Christ,  thus  the  soul  receives  Christ  and  «'  he  that 
hath  the  Son  hath  the  life,  he  that  hath  not  the 
Son  hath  not  the  life."  Uohn  5  :  12.  "And 
this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  should  know  thee 
the  only  true  God  and  him  whom  thou  didst  send, 
Jesus  Christ."  John  17  :  3. 

If  these  truths  be  fully  received  we  are  con- 
fronted with  the  important  facts  that  to  the  influ- 
ence and  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  the  sinner  is 
indebted  for  every  holy  desire,  every  awakening 
to  his  real  condition  as  a  sinner.  His  conscience, 
his  judgement,  his  apprehension,  his  decisi'on, 
his  conviction  of  truth  and  duty,  are  wrought 
through  the  Holy  Spirit.  Again  and  again  should 
the  church  emphasize  these  momentous  truths  and 
before  a  dying,  sinning  world  should  hold  the 
awful  consequences  of  not  heeding  every  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  coming  in  mercy,  and  whose  holy 
ministrations  to  us,  in  us,  and  for  us,  are  part  of 
the  purchase  of  the  Redeemer's  blood.  He  comes 
to  this  work  in  us  because  a  crucified  Christ 
ascended  up  on  high  and  sent  him  into  the  world 
for  this  purpose.  As  the  world  cannot  be  saved 
without  the  blood  of  the  crucified  Christ,  so  the 
world  cannot  come  to  Christ,  except  the  Holy 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  85 

Spirit  move  upon    him    to  awaken,  convict   and 
recreate. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


86  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


WHAT  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  DOES  FOR  THE   SAINT. 

Thus  far  in  our  studies  of  God's  work  in  the 
world,  under  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
it  has  become  apparent  that  the  sinner  cannot  be 
saved  except  as  he  receives  the  |influence  of  the 
Spirit.  It  would  only  be  a  natural  conclusion 
from  the  texts  considered,  that  the  primary  result 
of  salvation  is  a  proper  adjustment  of  the  saved 
soul  to  God's  will  through  the  help  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  and  if,  as  we  have  seen,  a  soul  is  never 
finally  without  hope  until  there  is  a  complete 
separation  from  the  Spirit,  it  may  reasonably  be 
argued  that  a  soul  is  never  saved  until  there  is  a 
complete  union  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  would 
then  follow  that,  as  important  as  is  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  securing  regeneration,  his 
work  is  none  the  less  important  in  completing 
regeneration  by  sustaining  forever  the  new  life 
begun  in  the  soul,  which  is  sanctification.  It  is 
at  this  point  that  care  shonld  be  specially  taken 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  87 

to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  term  sanctifica- 
tion  as  implying  a  setting  apart  to  divine  service, 
rather  than  any  conformity  to  a  fixed  standard 
of  Christian  experience.  Special  emphasis  then 
is  laid  in  the  New  Testament  on  the  relation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  believer  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Our  blessed  Lord  himself  in  the  promises  given 
to  the  disciples  concerning  the  Comforter  laid 
special  stress  on  this  part  of  his  mission. 

1.  "I  will  pray  the  Father  and  he  shall  give 
you  another  Comforter  that  he  may  be  with  you 
forever  ....  He  abideth  with  you  and 
shall  be  in  you."  John  14:16,  17.  The  same 
apostle  who  records  this  promise  also  declares : 
"Hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us  by  the 
Spirit  which  he  gave  us. "1  John  3:24.  And 
again:  "  Hereby  know  we  that  we  abide  in  him 
and  he  in  us  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his 
Spirit."  1  John  4:13.  And  so  Paul  asks: 
"  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  a  temple  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  is  in  you,  which  we  have  from 
God."  1  Cor.  6:19.  Thus  it  is  set  forth  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  dwells  in  and  abides  with  believ- 
ers in  Christ  Jesus.  Such  a  truth  sets  before  the 
professor  the  sacredness  of  his  new  life.  He  is 
no  longer  alone.  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  with 
him  and  dwells  in  him — sacred,  holy  relationship. 


88  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

And  this  relationship  is  not  a  temporary  one :  it 
is  not  transitory,  nor  fluctuating.  While  there 
may  be  an  ebb  and  flow  in  the  believer's  emo- 
tions, or  even  in  his  realization  of  the  Spirit's 
presence,  yet  the  Holy  Spirit  is  promised  as  an 
abiding  presence.  The  Master  uses  the  strongest 
of  terms — forever  abides,  dwells  in  you,  and 
these  terms  imply  that  where  the  relationship  has 
become  real,  it  is  also  permanent.  The  neces- 
sity for  this  will  become  more  and  more  appar- 
ent as  we  examine  the  nature  of  the  work  to  be 
accomplished  by  the  indwelling  Spirit. 

2.  Special  emphasis  is  laid  upon  his  work  in 
purifying  the  heart  and  cleansing  the  soul. 
Various  terms  are  used  by  which  to  designate 
this  work,  but  they  are  largely  synonymous. 
The  work  of  purification  is  considered  a  transfor- 
mation into  the  likeness  or  image  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is  to  this  thought  Paul  is 
directing  attention,  when  in  drawing  the  con- 
trast between  the  old  and  new  dispensations,  he 
declares  that  the  commendation  of  the  gospel  he 
had  preached  was  in  the  work  wrought  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  the  disciples ;  white 
'that  of  the  old  was  that  God  had  written  his  law 
on  tables  of  stone,  "Ye  are  an  epistle  of  Christ, 
ministered  by  us,  written  not  with  ink,  but  with 


THE   HOLY    SPIRIT.  89 

the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  ;  not  in  tables  of 
stone,  but  in  tables  that  are  hearts  of  flesh." 
He  then  shows  that  it  is  the  Spirit  who  makes 
the  dead  sinner  to]  live,  and  develops  him  into  a 
glorious  righteousness.  Then  he  argues  that 
while  Moses,  having  seen  the  glory  of  the  divine 
presence  in  the  Mount,  must  needs  veil  his  face 
from  the  people  and  that  this  veiling  still  con- 
tinues to  the  one  who  seeks  to  know  God  only 
through  the  law,  that  now,  under  the  new  dis- 
pensation and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we 
can  know  God;and  by  the  work  of  the  Spirit  when 
we  do  know  him  the  veils  of  ignorance,  prejudice 
and  sinfulness  are  taken  away,  and  seeing  Christ, 
we  are  by  the  Spirit  transformed  into  his  image. 
"Now  the  Lord  is  the  Spirit  and  where  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty,  (i.  e.,  unveiled 
vision).  But  we  all  with  unveiled  face  reflecting 
as  a  mirror  (margin  R.  V.,)  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  are  transformed  into  the  same  image  from 
glory  to  glory,  even  as  from  the  Lord  the 
Spirit,"  2  Cor.  3  :  13-18.  Thus  the  soul  is  by 
the  Spirit  enabled  to  discern  in  Christ  the  glory 
of  righteousness,  and  by  the  same  Spirit  is 
enabled  by  gradual  transformation  to  attain 
thereto,  even  to  a  likeness  of  Christ.  It  is  this 
same  truth  in  another  form  that  Paul, in  speaking 


90  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

of,  the  evils  begotten  by  sin  in  the  world, 
says:  "And  such  were  some  of  you:  but  ye 
were  washed,  but  ye  were  sanctified,  but  ye  were 
justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  in  the  Spirit  of  our  God."  1  Cor.  6:11. 
And  that  this  work  might  be  accomplished,  was 
set  forth  as  the  purpose  of  God  in  salvation 
where  Paul  again  said:  "God  chose  you  from 
the  beginning  unto  salvation  in  sa notification  of 
the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth."  2  Thes. 
2:13. 

3.  It  is  the  development  of  this  spiritual  life, 
begun  in  the  soul  and  carried  forward  to  the  per- 
fect likeness  to  Christ  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  that 
renders  it  essential  that  the  Christian  shall  be  led 
by  the  Spirit.  The  soul  is  no  longer  to  follow 
his  carnal  desires,  but  the  Spirit  is  to  lead  him 
on  to  complete  victory  over  sin  in  every  form. 
So  Paul  declares:  "But  I  say,  walk  by  the 
Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfill  the  lust  of  the 
flesh,  for  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and 
the  Spirit  [against  the  flesh  ;  for  these  are  con- 
trary the  one  to  the  other ;  that  ye  may  not  do 
the  things  that  ye  would.  But  if  ye  are  led  by 
the  Spirit,  ye  are  not  under  the  law."  Gal. 
5  :  16-18.  It  is  only  another  mode  of  presenting 
the  same  thought,  when  the  apostle,  following 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  91 

the  promise  of  our  blessed  Lord,  recognizes  that 
the  believer  is  taught  the  way  of  duty  and  service 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Christ  had  said  :  "  He  shall 
teach  you  all  things  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you." 
John  14:26.  And  again,  "He  shall  guide  you 
into  all  the  truth."  John  16  : 13. 

4.  Every  saved  soul  realizes  his  need  of 
divine  direction,  of  divine  illumination,  of  that 
wisdom  which  is  from  above,  and  to  every  such 
soul  there  comes,  in  the  words  -of  the  blessed 
Master,  an  assurance  that  he  shall  be  so  guided 
and  led.  The  Spirit  within  him  enables  him  to 
perceive  spiritual  things,  to  know  God's  will  and 
to  receive  divine  wisdom.  This  spiritual  illumin- 
ation is  by  Paul  put  into  contrast  with  the  nat- 
ural powers,  when  quoting  from  the  prophet  he 
says  :  "  Things  which  eye  saw  not,  and  ear  heard 
not,  and  which  entered  not  into  the  heart  of 
man,  Whatsoever  things  God  prepared  for  them 
that  love  him.  But  unto  us  God  revealed  them 
through  the  Spirit :  for  the  Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God.  For  who 
among  men  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save 
the  Spirit  of  the  man,  which  is  in  him?  even  so 
the  things  of  God  none  knoweth,  save  the  Spirit 
of  God.  But  we  received,  not  the  Spirit  of  the 


92  THE   HOLY    SPIRIT. 

world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is  from  God  ;  that 
we  might  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given 
to  us  of  God,  which  things  we  also  speak  not  in 
words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which 
the  Spirit  teacheth :  comparing  spiritual  things 
with  spiritual.  Now  the  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  : 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ;  and  he  cannot 
know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  judged. 
But  he  that  is  spiritural  judgeth  all  things,  and 
he  himself  is  judged  of  no  man."  1  Cor.  2  :  9- 
15. 

No  language  can  express  more  clearly  the 
wonderful  blessings  opened  to  the  believer  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  than  this  language  of  Paul,  in 
which  he  recognized  not  only  the  fact  of  the 
abode  of  the  Spirit  within  the  soul  of  the 
believer;  but  that  he  is  there  to  enable  him 
to  become  Christlike,  and  to  lead  and  teach 
him  in  the  mysteries  of  the  way  of  life,  of 
discharge  of  duty,  and  to  know  spiritural  things. 

5.  But  the  Scriptures  assure  us  that  all  this 
is  that  the  believer  may  have  assurance  of  the 
eternal  blessedness  that  is  to  be  his,  and  so  em- 
phasis is  laid  upon  the  fact,  that  the  Spirit  thus 
in  the  soul  of  the  believer  is  also  a  seal  of  the 
Christian's  adoption  into  God's  family,  and 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  93 

pledge  of  his  future  inheritance.  So  Paul 
declares:  "Now  he  that  establisheth  us  with 
you  in  Christ,  and  anointed  us,  is  God  ;  who  also 
sealed  us,  and  gavews  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in 
our  hearts'."  2  Cor.  1:22.  And  again,  "we 
who  hoped  in  Christ,  having  heard  the  word  of 
the  truth — having  also  believed,  ye  were  sealed 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  an 
earnest  of  our  inheritance,  unto  the  redemption 
of  God's  own  possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his 
glory."  Eph.  1:13,  14.  In  these  and  similar 
passages  the  Apostle  recognizes  that  the  Spirit, 
dwelling  in  the  Christian,  is  a  seal,  or  witness  to 
the  soul's  salvation.  God  has,  in  giving  the 
Christian  the  Spirit,  given  to  him  such  an  im- 
press of  divine  life  and  character  that  he  is  rec- 
ognized as  belonging  to  God's  kingdom.  Here  is 
the  test  or  evidence  of  divine  proprietorship  in 
the  redeemed  soul ;  and  the  indwelling  Spirit, 
thus  stamping  the  divine  likeness  upon  the 
believer's  character,  gives  to  him  also  the  pledge 
of  final  redemption  and  perfect  glory.  Thus  the 
work  of  Christ  in  redemption  is  made  perfect  by 
the  Spirit  abiding  forever  in  the  soul.  And  no 
soul  has  any  hope  for  eternal  life  to  whom  the 
Spirit  has  not  come  and  does  not  in  the  very 
transformation  of  character  into  the  Christ- 


94  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

image,  thereby,  give  the  seal  of  divine  possession, 
and  the  pledge  of  eternal  glory."  Vide  ICor. 
15:45. 

6.  But  such  a  Christian,  looking  forward  by 
faith  with  assurance  to  the  coming  glory,  to  the 
victory  over  sin  and  death,  over  the  world,  the 
flesh  and  the  devil  and  the  triumphs  of  the  resur- 
rection, realizes  his  own  weakness  by  nature 
while  in  the  flesh,  and  constantly  cries  out  for 
deliverance,  for  guidance,  for  wisdom,  for 
strength,  for  power,  and  it  is  to  such  an  one 
conies  the  assurance,  that  by  this  same  indwell- 
ing Spirit,  he  shall  receive  the  needed  blessings. 
Such  was  the  burden  of  Paul's  prayer  for  Chris- 
tians as  he  declares  :  "For  this  cause  I  bow  my 
knees  unto  the  Father,  from  whom  every  family 
in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  named,  that  he  would 
grant  you,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory, 
that  ye  may  be  strengthened  with  power  through 
his  Spirit  in  the  inward  man;"  Eph.  3:14-16. 
The  result  of  this  blessing  would  be  that  the 
Christian  thus  "strengthened  through  the  Spirit" 
would  be  "rooted  and  grounded  in  love"  and 
would  comprehend  the  measure  of  the  love  of 
Christ  and  be  "filled  with  all  the  fullness  of 
God."  Such  were  the  possibilities  which  Paul 
realized  opened  before  every  believer. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  95 

7.  For  this  he  prayed.  For  this  he  taught 
othera  to  pray ;  and  while  he  prayed  he  realized 
that  no  prayer  would  find  "access  to  God" 
except  the  heart  had  indited  it  and  so  had  taught 
the  saved  soul  how  to  present  to  the  Heavenly 
throne  of  grace  an  acceptable  prayer.  It  is  thus 
that  he  intends  to  teach,  that  Jew  and  Gentile 
"both  have  access  in  one  Spirit  unto  the 
Father."  Eph.  2:18. 

These  passages  set  forth  clearly  that  the 
Christian  life  is  anew  life;  that  he  is  a  new  crea- 
tion. Spiritually  he  has  become  the  temple  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  in  whom  the  Spirit  is  to  dwell 
forever,  by  whose  power  victory  is  to  be  attained 
over  the  carnal  nature,  by  whose  leadings  he  is  to 
be  guided  into  all  truth,  to  whose  witness  in  the 
seal  or  impress  of  the  divine  nature,  there  is 
given  a  pledge  or  earnest  of  the  eternal  glory 
beyond  ;  by  whom  here  the  Christian  is  strength- 
ened and  through  whose  power  he  attains  access 
to  God.  Such  is  the  Christian.  Not  some 
Christians,  but  all.  Without  this  work-  wrought 

*  O 

in  the  soul  of  the  believer  no  one  is  a  Christian. 
Such  a  life  is  a  saved  life.  Such  a  life  is  ready 
for  time  or  for  eternity.  Such  a  life  is  eternally 
t)lessed. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 


96  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning, 
is  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


HOLY   SPIRIT— FAITHFUL  GUIDE. 

"Holy  Spirit— faithful  guide 
Ever  near  the  Christian's  side, 
Gently  lead  us  by  the  hand, 
Pilgrims  in  a  deserted  land, 
Weary  souls  fore'er  rejoice, 
While  they  hear  that  sweetest  voice, 
Whispering  softly,  wanderer,  come! 
Follow  me,  I'll  guide  thee  home. 

Ever  present,  truest  Friend, 
Ever  near  thine  aid  to  lend, 
Leave  us  not  in  doubt  and  fear, 
Groping  on  in  darkness  drear. 
When  the  storms  are  raging  sore 
Hearts  grow  faint  and  hopes  give  o'er, 
Whispering  softly,  wanderer,  come! 
Follow  me,  I'll  guide  thee  home. 

When  our  days  of  toil  shall  cease, 
Waiting  still  for  sweet  release, 
Nothing  left  but  heaven  and  prayer, 
Trusting  that  our  names  are  there : 
Wading  deep  the  dismal  flood, 
Pleading  nought  but  Jesus'  blood, 
Whispering  softly,  wanderer,  come: 
Follow  me,  I'll  guide  thee  home." 


THF    HOLY   SPIRIT.  97 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  DOCTRINE  IN  ROMANS  EIGHTH  CHAPTER. 

The  analysis  made  in  the  previous  section  is 
based  upon  the  order  used  by  the  apostle  in  the 
eighth  chapter  of  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Roman 
Church.  The  truths  we  have  been  considering 
are  brought  out  in  a  most  forcible  manner  in  that 
chapter  and  for  this  reason  it  should  be  studied 
carefully  as  an  entire  section.  This  eighth  chap- 
ter of  Romans  treats  of  the  Spirit's  influence  upon 
the  life  of  the  justified  soul,  and  shows  in  a  for- 
cible manner  what  he  does  for  the  Christian.  The 
study  of  this  chapter  will  then  be  more  than  a 
recapitulation  of  the  proceeding ;  it  will  be  a 
study  of  the  apostle's  own  argument  in  his  own 
order  and  from  his  own  plan  and  purpose.  In 
the  seventh  chapter  the  apostle  had  been  consider- 
ing the  conflict  between  the  two  natures  in  the 
Christian— the  carnal  or  fleshly  nature  and  the 
spiritual  or  regenerated  nature.  This  conflict  will 
consummate  in  the  victory  of  the  spiritual  through 


98  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  when  the  Christina  hns 
been  delivered  from  "  this  fleshly  body  of  death." 
The  spiritual  nature  he  considers  as  the  new 
nature  and  as  constituting,  the  real  person,  and 
so,  while  he  recognizes  this  war  in  the  soul  be- 
tween the  two  natures,  he  boldly  announces  in 
the  opening  of  the  eighth  chapter  "that  there  is 
therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are 
in  Christ  Jesus.  For  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life 
ia  Christ  Jesus  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin 
and  death."  Rom.  8:1,  2.  He  then  shows  that 
the  Christian  is  always  a  person  who  walks  not 
after  the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit.  He  draws 
the  dividing  line  between  saint  and  sinner  just 
where  our  blessed  Lord  himself  drew  it — at  the 
new  birth,  or  regeneration.  He  knows  no  Chris- 
tian but  one  who  minds  the  things  of  the  Spirit. 
He  recognizes  no  justification  but  for  the  soul  in 
subjection  to  the  law  of  God  through  the  life  and 
peace  imparted  by  the  Spirit.  And  while  he  re- 
cognizes the  frailties  and  sinful  propensities  of 
the  carnal  nature,  he  proceeds  step  by  step  to 
show  the  regenerated  soul  how,  by  and  through 
the  Holy  Spirit,  he  shall  overcome  sin  and  at  last 
come  off  more  than  conqueror.  This  argument 
is  then  the  apostle's  battle  cry  by  which  he  en- 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  99 

courages   the  Christian   to   move  forward  to  an 
assured  victory. 

1.  He  recognizes  the  reality  of  the  Lord's 
promise  of  an  abiding  Comforter  as  the  funda- 
mental condition  of  success.  "  Ye  are  not  in  the 
flesh  but  in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  dwelleth  in  you.  But  if  any  man  hath  not 
the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his.  And  if 
Christ  is  in  you,  the  body  is  dead  because  of  sin  ; 
but  the  Spirit  is  life  because  of  righteousness. 
But  if  the  Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from 
the  dead  dwelleth  in  you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ 
Jesus  from  the  dead  shall  quicken  also  your  mortal 
bodies  through  his  spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you." 
Verses  9-11.  Here  the  apostle  emphatically  re- 
cognizes that  all  reality  in  the  Christian  life  and 
all  hope  for  the  Christian  in  this  life,  or  in  the 
resurrection,  turns  upon  the  other  fact  that  the 
Spirit  which  dwelt  in  f ulfillness  in  the  Son  of  Man 
dwells  also  in  the  believer.  The  home,  the 
abiding  place  of  the  Spirit,  is  in  the  believer. 
Thus  the  evidence  of  being  a  Christian  as  well  as 
the  condition  of  success,  as  a  Christian,  turns 
upon  whether  or  not  the  body  has  become  the 
home-place  of  the  Spirit.  There  seems  to  be  no 
appeal  from  the  apostle's  emphatic  statement 
that  *«  if  any  man  hath  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ  he 


100  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

is  none  of  his."      And  the  Master  declared  that 
this  possession  was  a  permanent  one. 

2.  The  logic  then  of  the  apostle  is  irresistible, 
that  if  this  conflict  between  the  fleshly  or  carnal 
and  spiritual   natures   exists,  and  the  reality   of 
the  Christian  life  is  only  assured  by  the  fact  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  the  believer,  he  must 
put  to  death  the  deeds  of  the  body,  and  so  over- 
come  sinfulness.       "  So  then,  brethren,  we  are 
debtors,  not  to   the  flesh,  to  live  after  the  flesh  ; 
for  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh  ye  must  die;   but  if 
by  the  Spirit  ye  put  to  death  the  deeds  (or  do- 
ings) of  the  body,  ye  shall  live."     Verses  12,  13. 
This  putting  to  death  of  the  doings  of  the  fleshly 
nature  is  then  the  first  thing  wrought  in  the  soul 
by  the  presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
And  the  Christian  should  recognize  this  truth  set 
forth  here  as  vital.     The  whole  logic  of  the  Chris- 
tian life   is  the  supremacy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  soul  over  the  influences  of  sin,  from  whatever 
source  they  may  emanate.     Victory  over  sin   is 
God's  purpose  for  the  Christian  ;  it  must  become 
his  purpose  for  himself. 

3.  To  this  end  the  apostle  quickly  adds :  * '  For 
as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  these 
are  sons   of  God."     Verse  14.     This  leading  is 
not  such  as  would  be   secured  by  a  slavish  sub- 


THE   HOLY  SPIRIT.  101 

jection  to  a  tyrannical  power,  but  it  is  the  leading 
of  a  willing  surrender  to  divine  love,  which  has 
secured  the  confidence  of  the  believer.  It  implies 
the  willing  surrender  of  the  soul  to  divine  con- 
trol ;  but  this  surrender  carries  with  it  the  high- 
est use  of  all  the  intellectual  and  moral  faculties. 
The  soul  having  turned  from  the  bondage  of  sin 
stands  forth  in  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  and 
gladly  follows  the  divine  direction,  thereby  obtain- 
ing the  mastery  of  the  carnal  nature  and  the  high- 
est possible  conformity  to  the  divine  will ;  no 
longer  slaves  of  sin,  but  sons  of  God. 

4.  And  so  Paul  declares  :  "  Ye  received  not 
the  spirit  of  bondage  again  unto  fear ;  but  ye 
received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry: 
Abba,  Father.  The  Spirit  himself  beareth  wit- 
ness with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of 
God."  Verses  15, 16.  The  spirit  in  the  believer, 
working  his  transformation  into  the  likeness  of 
Christ,  is  the  testimony  to  his  own  soul  that  he 
is  God's  child.  This  testimony  to  the  adoption 
is  found  in  the  experience  of  the  believer  where- 
by he  perceives  his  love  for  the  Christ  to  whom 
he  is  being  conformed,  and  in  the  consciousness 
of  peaceful  fellowship,  with  God.  The  sense  of 
harmony,  of  fellowship  and  communion,  is  how- 
ever a  result  of  his  Christ-likeness,  rather  than  a 


102  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

co-ordinate  experience  begotten  independently, 
or  separately.  There  is  nothing  in  this  language 
to  imply  that  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  is  other 
than  a  realization  of  fellowship  with  Christ,  and 
of  childship  with  the  Father,  because  of  the  work 
wrought  in  the  soul  by  the  Spirit  in  mortifying 
the  deeds  of  the  body  and  attaining  to  the  high 
standard  of  Christian  life  exampled  in  our  Lord. 
The  witness  of  the  Spirit  may  beget — yea,  will 
beget — emotions  of  love,  joy  and  peace,  but  these 
are  the  results ;  they  are  not  the  witnesses  them- 
selves. The  witness  of  the  Spirit  is  in  the  desire 
to  overcome  sin.  To  attain  victory  over  the 
carnal  nature  and  in  the  consciousness  that  this 
work,  as  it  is  accomplished,  brings  the  believer 
into  hallowed  fellowship  with  Christ.  Enmity 
in  the  heart  is  taken  away.  The  conflict  is  not  be- 
tween the  soul  and  God,  but  between  the  spiritual 
and  carnal  natures  in  the  believer.  The  enmity 
is  not  between  the  saint  and  his  heavenly  Father, 
but  between  the  old  and  new  man.  Herein  is 
found  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  when  the  saved 
soul  can  look  up  and  realize  and  recognize  God  as 
Father.  The  family  relationship  is  established, 
the  name  has  been  accepted,  and  like  Thomas  he 
exclaims:  " My  Lord  and  my  God."  This  the 
apostle  declares  is  the  witness  of  the  Spirit. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  103 

5.  But  the  Christian  realizes  that  if  he  is  God's 
child,  there  are  implied  results  growing  out  of 
this  relationship.  Childship  means  something. 
And  so  the  apostle  argues  :  "If  children,  then 
heirs  ;  heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ ;  if 
so  be  that  we  suffer  with  him,  that  we  may  be 
also  glorified  with  him."  He  then  proceeds  to 
argue  that  the  -whole  creation  is  waiting  for  the 
redemption  of  the  body  from  the  grave  ;  or  in 
other  words  that  "  the  Spirit  of  him  who  raised 
up  Jesus  from  the  dead,  will  also  raise  up  our 
moral  bodies  through  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in 
you."  And  until  that  glorious  work  is  accom- 
plished the  whole  creation,  both  material  and 
spiritual,  is  waiting.  "And  not  only  so  but  our- 
selves also  which  have  the  first  fruits  of  tne  Spirit, 
groan  within  ourselves,  waiting  for  our  adoption, 
to-wit,  tho  redemption  of  our  body.  Verses 
17-23. 

Salvation,  then,  is  something  more  than  being 
a  member  of  God's  kingdom;  it  is  the  pledge, 
through  the  indwelling  Spirit,  of  joint  heirship  with 
Christ  to  all  the  glorious  inheritance  of  God.  To 
be  a  child  of  God,  is  to  hold  God's  pledge  of 
resurrection  from  the  dead  and  the  entrance  into 
the  full  enjoyment  of  being  God's  own  beloved 
children.  So  then  there  becomes  not  only  the 


104  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

soul's  redemption  from  sin  through  the  blood  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  there  is  also  the  re- 
demption of  the  body  from  the  grave  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  the  believer. 
And  this  redemption  of  the  body  is  the  pledge  of 
an  abundant  entrance  into  all  the  riches  and  glory 
of  God's  eternal  kingdom. 

6.  From  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  and 
its  consequent  blessings,  the  apostle  proceeds  to 
draw  a  valuable  conclusion  for  the  present.  The 
Christian  realizes  his  own  weakness  and  the 
dangers,  conflicts,  temptations  and  perils  of  his 
life,  and  he  seeks  for  help  in  these  and  he  realizes 
that  unless  God  helps  him  he  must  fail ;  and  so 
while  the  apostle  has  encouraged  him  for  the 
future,  he  will  also  encourage  him  for  the  present. 
And  he  declares:  "And  in  like  manner  the 
Spirit  also  helpeth  our  infirmity."  Verse  26. 
Thus,  while  the  Christian,  in  his  present  estate, 
finds  himself  environed  with  difficulties,  he  has 
in  the  indwelling  Spirit  an  omnipotent  helper.  It 
is  no  mysterious  promise  then  that  divine  "grace 
is  sufficient  for  us"  in  every  emergency.  The 
Holy  Spirit  forever  abiding  with  the  believer 
grants  him  the  aid  of  the  same  potent  energy  by 
which  all  grace  and  glory  has  ever  been  given, 
not  only  in  the  beginning,  but  now  and  evermore 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  105 

he  is  our  helper ;  not  more,  nor  less,  than  an  Al- 
mighty helper.  This  implies  that  every  energy, 
every  faculty  of  the  believer  must  be  exercised  to 
overcome  sin  and  weakness  and  temptation.  And 
at  the  point  where  human  endeavor  would  fail — 
at  the  hour  of  sinking  weakness — at  the  time  of 
possible  surrender  the  soul  is  lifted,  strengthen- 
ed, helped  by  the  Almighty  Spirit. 

7.  Beyond  this  the  apostle  leads  us  one  step. 
All  Christian  success  is  conditioned  on  prayer. 
But  where  is  the  Christian  who  has  not  sometimes 
wondered  if  the  things  he  asked  for  were  the 

O 

things  he  ought  to  ask  for,  or  to  receive  ?  And 
here  again  the  Spirit  is  our  helper.  ««  We  know 
not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought ;  but  the  Spirit  him- 
self maketh  intercession  for  us  with  groanings 
which  cannot  be  uttered  ;  and  he  that  searcheth 
the  hearts  knoweth  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit, 
because  he  maketh  intercession  for  the  saints  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God."  Verse  26  and  27. 
So  then  the  believer  has  two  intercessors.  One 
the  Lord  Jesus,  at  the  throne  of  mercy.  The 
other,  the  Holy  Spirit  within  his  own  soul.  How 
can  he  fail  who  comes  thus  in  prayer  for  forgive- 
ness, mercy,  grace  and  strength?  It  is  not  pos- 
sible. God  is  his  eternal  deliverer.  No  wonder 
that  from  such  a  study  the  apostle  should  ask : 


106  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

"  Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of  God's 
chosen  ones?"  If  God  has  justified,  if  Christ 
Jesus  has  died  for  us,  if  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
ever  present  helper,  then  surely  is  it  true  that  no 
power  is  able  "to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  The 
saved  soul,  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  is  kept 
by  the  same  grace.  The  whole  enginery  of  per- 
dition may  be  placed  in  battle  array;  but  he  will 
come  off  more  than  conqueror,  because  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  not  only  made  him  spiritually  a  new 
creature,  but  he  has  taken  up  his  abode  within 
him,  to  abide  forever,  to  enable  him  to  conquer 
the  old  nature,  to  lead  him  in  the  right  way,  to 
witness  to  his  adoption  in  God's  family,  to  give 
him  the  sure  hope  of  the  resurrection,  to  strength- 
en him  in  every  infirmity,  to  intercede  for  him 
that  he  may  pray  for  such  things  as  he  ought;  and 
herein  is  triumphant  victory. 

"Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 

COMFORTER  DIVINE. 

Holy  Spirit,  infinite ! 

Shine  upon  our  natures'  night, 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  107 

With  thy  blessed  inward  light, 
Comforter  Divine. 

We  are  sinful ;  cleanse  us,  Lord, 
We  are  faint ;  thy  strength  afford ; 
Lost—  until  by  thee  restored, 
Comforter  Divine. 

In  us,  for  us,  intercede, 
And  with  voiceless  groaning  plead 
Our  unutterable  need, 
Comforter  Divine. 

In  us  "Abba  Father."  cry, 
Earnest  of  our  bliss  on  high, 
Seal  of  immorality, 
Comforter  Divine. 

Search  for  us  the  depths  of  God, 
Bear  us  up  the  starry  road, 
To  the  height  of  thine  abode, 
Comforter  Divine, 

— Gf.  Rawson. 


108  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE   SPIRIT  AND  HIS  GIFTS. 

In  the  last  conversation  which  our  Lord  held 
with  his  disciples  before  his  death,  he  insisted 
upon  the  necessity  of  a  vital  union  between  him- 
self and  the  believer  or  disciple.  The  relation- 
ship between  Christ  and  his  disciples  was  not  to 
be  a  mechanical  nor  a  conditional  union.  It  was 
not  to  be  a  temporary  nor  optional  union.  It 
was  to  be  as  vital  as  exists  between  the  vine  and 
the  branches.  Indeed  this  is  the  illustration  he 
uses  and  by  which  he  also  enforces  this  truth. 
They  must  possess  a  common  ^life,  flowing  from 
a  common  source,  permeating  all  parts  and  pro- 
ducing results  in  conformity  to  the  essential  and 
inherent  nature  thus  communicated  from  the 
Christ — center — stem,  to  the  remotest  disciple — 
branch,  and  so  he  argues  that  the  branch  without 
this  vitality  received  from  the  stem  is  dead  and 
of  no  value,  except  to  be  burned,  but  that  with  this 
vital  life  communicated  and  used,  fruit  will  be 


THE    HOLY  SPIRIT.  109 

borne  that  will  become  an  evidence  of  the  inter- 
nal nature  in  due  season ;  so  that  the  fruit  borne 
by  the  disciples  becomes  an  evidence  of  the 
divinity  of  their  religion. 

Following  out  this  figure  used  by  our  blessed 
Lord  in  the  light  of  the  truths  he  also  set  forth 
in  that  same  conversation  concerning  the  Comfor- 
ter, we  can  see  that  the  means  by  which  this  life 
is  imparted  from  Christ  to  the  disciple  is  by  the 
operation  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  We  need 
attempt  no  solution  of  any  mystery  involved ;  all 
life  is  a  mystery.  It  comes  as  the  divine  gift 
through  divinely  designated  channels,  and  mys- 
tery shrouds  its  impartation,  its  nature,  its  opera- 
tion. In  fact  life  is  a  mystery  whether  it  be  in 
its  simplest  or  most  complex  forms. 

None  the  less  is  it  true  concerning  spiritual 
life.  The  important  truth  for  us  to  consider 
now,  is,  what  is  the  fruit  of  this  spiritual  life 
which  becomes  the  primary  test  of  real  disciple- 
ship?  Two  results  are  secured  by  fruit,  viz., 
nourishment  and  increase,  or  food  and  seed.  In 
nature  the  food  finds  its  divine  purpose  in  the 
sustenance  of  the  seed,  or  in  maintaining  and 
secureing  the  perpetuation  and  development  of 
the  seed  in  its  future  life. 

It  ia  only  a  secondary  purpose  of  fruit  that  it 


110  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

ever  contributes  to  the  sustenance  of  other  life 
than  its  own.  This  analysis  will  help  us  now  to 
clasify  the  results  as  they  are  found  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  spiritual  life  found  in  the  Chris- 
tian, or  to  determine  the  nature  and  character  of 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  We  are  not  now  to 
study  the  nature  of  the  stem,  nor  need  of  the 
branch.  We  are  not  to  enquire  as  to  its  ability 
to  endure  the  various  vicissitudes  of  climate, 
weather,  storm,  frost,  heat,  or  drought.  We  are 
not  even  to  consider  the  form  of  leaf,  with  which 
it  is  outwardly  adorned.  Thesje  we  have  already 
considered  when  we  studied  the  divine  life  of  the 
Son  of  Man,  and  what  the  Holy  Spirit  does  for 
the  sinner  in  regeneration,  and  for  the  saint  in 
justification.  We  come  now  to  inquire  for  such 
results  growing  therefrom  as  tend  to  the  perpet- 
uation of  this  spiritual  life  in  the  soul  and  to 
secure  its  nourishment  and  growth  when  the 
seed  having  died  that  it  may  live  again,  sinks  to 
the  earth  to  await  the  operation  of  God's 
appointed  means  to  bring  it  forth  again.  In  other 
words  we  come  now  to  enquire  what  are  the 
spiritual  characteristics  given  to  the  soul  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  will  endure  the  shock  of 
death  and  constitute  the  eternal  glory  of  the 
believer. 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  Ill 

What  elements  of  spiritual  life  are  brought 
forth  by  the  Holy  Spirit  which  will  endure,  and 
which  will  form  a  basis  of  the  eternal  glory 
toward  which  the  soul  looks  as  one  result  of  the 
redemption  in  Christ  Jesus  and  upon  which  it 
can  eternally  secure  development? 

If,  in  the  bringing  forth  of  these  fruits,  other 
souls  are  nourished  or  blessed,  so  much  the  bet- 
ter. Nay,  we  may  be  sure  that  part  of  the  result 
of  bringing  forth  the  fruit  of  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
be  that  we  shall  be  enabled  to  bless  others. 
Richly  developed  Christian  character  is  the 
surest  means  of  imparting  spiritual  nourishment 
to  other  souls,  but  let  us  not  mistake  the  effect 
for  the  cause.  Let  us  not  mistake  the  blessings 
which  may  flow  from  fruit  bearing,  with  fruit 
bearing  itself .  We  may  go  a  step  further;  and 
see  that  soul-saving  will  be  a  necessary  result 
of  strong,  rich,  Christian  development.  That 
no  true,  earnest,  spiritual  Christian  can  fail 
to  lead  souls  to  Christ  and  eternal  life ;  but 
let  it  be  ever  fixed  in  the  mind  that  devel- 
oped Christian  graces  in  the  disciple,  and  not 
souls  saved  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  and 
the  evidence  of  vital  union  between  the  Savior 
and  the  believer.  This  becomes  apparent  when 
we  examine  the  teachings  of  the  apostles.  Paul 


112  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

puts  the  works  of  the  flesh  andthe  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  in  sharp  contrast  when  he  says:  "Now 
the  works  of  the  flesh  are  manifested  which  are 
these,  fornication,  uncleannesslasciviousness, idol- 
atry, sorcery,  enmities,  strife,  jealousies,  wraths, 
factions,  divisions,  heresies,  envyings,  drunken- 
ness, revelings,  and  such  like.  But  the  fruit  of 
the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness,  meekness,  tem- 
perance:  against  such  there  is  no  law."  Gal. 
5:19-23. 

This  is  not  the  enumeration  of  so  many  differ- 
ent kinds  of  fruit,  but  of  the  different  character- 
istics of  the  one  common  result  of  the  indwelling 
Spirit  and  so,  taken  as  a  whole,  constitutes  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit. 

It  requires  no  long  argument  to  show  that 
these  characteristics  developed  in  the  soul  are  not 
natural  but  spiritual.  Hence  there  devolves 
upon  the  Christian  the  twofold  responsibility  of 
recognizing  first  that  these  characteristics  are 
begotten  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  secondarily  that 
he  is  as  a  disciple  to  seek  their  development, 
using  such  means  as  may  be  granted  by  the 
Spirit  to  make  them  to  abound  more  and  more. 

Nor  can  any  one  fail  to  recognize  the  blessed 
state  of  that  soul  in  which  these  characteristics 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  113 

abound.  It  is  a  heavenly  state.  This  passage 
quoted  above  is  a  comprehensive  grouping  of  the 
results  of  the  Spirit's  work*  that  are  set  forth 
singly  in  various  other  passages  and  are  worthy 
of  consideration  here.  Paul  in  the  various  con- 
ditions of  blessing  in  the  Christian  life  declares 
that  all  things  are  for  our  benefit,  "  because  the 
love  of  God  hath  been  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  which  was  given  unto 
us."  Rom.  5  :  5.  And  again  when  arguing  in 
favor  of  abstinence  for  a  brother's  sake,  he  says: 
'«  The  kingdom  of  God  is  not  eating  and  drink- 
ing, but  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Spirit."  Rom.  14:17.  And  because  Paul 
believed  this  he  could  make  it  his  prayer  for 
Christians,  "  Now  the  God  of  hope  fill  you  with 
all  joy  and  peace  in  believing,  that  ye  may 
sbound  in  hope  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Rom.  15  : 13.  In  these  passages  the  recognition 
is  that  all  the  results  of  the  Christian  life  are  by 
the  "power  of  the  Holy  Spirit"  which  has 
"been  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts."  And  these 
are  the  fruit  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Sometimes  a 
dwarfed  and  imperfect  development  only  is 
secured,  sometimes  the  development  is  hindered, 
but  if  the  Holy  Spirit  has  taken  up  his  abiding 
place  in  the  soul,  then  in  greater  or  less  power  of 


114  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

development  will  this  fruit  be  found  and  it  be- 
comes the  Christian's  great  care  to  see  that  noth- 
ing hinders  their  growth,  since  the  world  needs 
to  feel  the  power  of  their  highest,  development. 

In  Paul's  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthian  church, 
he  enumerates  what  he  calls  special  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  They  are  not  properly  fruit  and 
yet  because  they  are  direct  results  of  the  Spirit 
upon  the  believer  they  may  be  fitly  considered 
here.  From  the  twelfth  to  the  fourteenth  chap- 
ters inclusive  he  has  these  gifts  under  considera- 
tion ;  an  outline  of  the  thought  is  all  that  may 
be  necessary  here.  Having  announced  in  chapter 
twelve  that  he  purposes  to  discuss  the  question 
of  spiritual  gifts,  he  declares  the  fundamental 
truth  that  no  man  can  be  a  Christian  except  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  "No  man  can  say,  Jesus  is 
Lord  but  in  the  Holy  Spirit."  1  Cor.  12:3. 
He  then  proceeds  to  consider  these  various  gifts. 
He  gives  the  enumeration  under  two  forms  :  first 
of  results  and  secondly  of  persons  through  whom 
the  results  are  secured. 

"Now  there  are  diversities  of  gifts 'but  the 
same  Spirit.  *  *  *  *  But  to  each  one  is 
given  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  to  profit 
withal.  For  to  one  is  given  through  the  Spirit 
the  word  of  wisdom;  and  to  another  the  word  of 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  115 

knowledge,  according  to  the  same  Spirit :  to 
another  faith,  in  the  same  Spirit ;  and  to 
another  gifts  of  healing,  in  the  same  Spirit; 
and  to  another  workings  of  miracles; 

and  to  another  prophecy ;  and  to  another 
discerning  of  spirits;  and  to  another  divers 
kinds  of  tongues ;  and  to  another  the  interpreta- 
tion of  tongues ;  but  all  these  worketh  the  one 
and  the  self  same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  one 
severally  even  as  he  will.".  1  Cor.  12:4—11. 
And  then  in  the  closing  verses  he  designates  the 
officers:  "God  hath  set  some  in  the  church, 
first  apostles,  secondly  prophets,  thirdly  teachers, 
then  miracles,  then  gifts  of  healings,  helps,  gov- 
ernments, divers  kinds  of  tongues."  1  Cor.  12  :  28. 
The  argument  all  the  way  through  these  three 
chapters  is,  that  while  there  are  diversities  of 
gifts  and  differences  of  titles,  that  there  is  but 
one  Spirit  producing  them,  and  they  are  all  for 
one  common  purpose — the  strengthing  and  estab- 
lishing of  the  church.  Then  he  shows  that  the 
highest  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  Christian  love 
— the  excellence  of  which  gift  is  clearly  set 
forth  in  the  thirteenth  chapter.  The  question 
may  be  raised  how  many  of  these  gifts  are 
bestowed  in  the  church  to-day  and  how  many  of 
these  offices  are  permanent  in  the  church?  Im 


116  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

other  words  has  the  church  the  power  from  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  exercise  any  of  these  gifts?  If 
not,  why  not?  and  if  not  all,  why  not  all? 

The  question  of  the  cessation  of  all  miraculous 
power  with  the  apostles  has  been  long  a  contro- 
verted point.  In  Heb.  2  :3,  4  the  writer  declares 
that  "The  word  was  confirmed  unto  us  (Chris- 
tians) by  them  that  heard ;  God  also  bearing 
witness  with  them,  both  by  signs  and  wonders, 
and  by  manifold  powers,  and  by  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  according  to  his  own  will."  These 
words  very  reasonably  imply  some  gifts  were 
bestowed  upon  the  apostles  and  not  on  others. 
So  that  a  distinction  may  be  made  between  mir- 
aculous gifts  and  spiritual,  fitting  and  enduring  for 
permanent  service  in  the  kingdom.  A  distinc- 
tion also  is  clearly  made  between  all  of  these 
gifts  and  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  Every  Chris- 
tian must  have  in  some  degree  and  should  have 
in  large  degree  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  constantly 
brought  forth  in  his  soul,  but  only  such  gifts  as 
the  Holy  Spirit  sees  he  can  and  will  use  to  the 
glory  of  God. 

The  apostle  declares  in  this  connection  that 
"prophecies  shall  be  done  away  "  "tongues  shall 
cease"  and  "knowledge  shall  be  done  away." 
1  Cor.  13 :  8.  He  seems  to  refer  to  a  present 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  117 

and  temporal  cessation  rather  than  a  cesssation 
in  eternity.  Two  things  however  are  clear  ;  one 
is,  that  if  there  is  any  fault  for  their  cessation  it 
is  not  the  Spirit's  fault.  The  other  is  that  so  far 
as  the  church  has  need  of  such  gifts,  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  bestow  them,  if  the  church  will 
use  them.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  clear  that 
when  the  church  in  her  membership  shall  realize 
more  f ullythe  need  of  perfect  co-operation  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  already  abiding  in  her  member- 
ship and  will  seek  for  such  co-oporation,  then 
will  the  power  of  the  church  be  vastly  multiplied, 
and  such  gifts  as  the  church  needs  to  glorify  God 
and  secure  the  salvation  of  souls,  thereby  build- 
ing up  his  kingdom,  will  be  vouchsafed  to  her. 

All  needed  spiritual  blessings  are  ready  to  be 
bestowed  upon  Christians  either  as  individuals  or 
as  churches  when  realizing  their  high  calling  of 
God  they  are  ready  to  use  them.  Till  then  God 
waits 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


118  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


CHAPTEK  XI. 

THE   HOLY   SPIRIT   AND   THE   MINISTRY. 

When  our  blessed  Lord  would  give  to  his 
chosen  apostles  their  commissions  to  begin  the 
work  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  all  nations,  he 
assured  them  and  their  successors  in  the  Christian 
ministry  that  he  would  be  with  them  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world.  And  in  order  that 
they  might  realize  the  divine  presence  as  well  as 
secure  the  fitness  they  needed  for  this  glorious 
work,  they  were  especially  enjoined  from  enter- 
ing upon  it  until  they  were  "  endued  with  power 
from  on  high."  How  they  were  to  receive  this 
enduement  and  the  special  character  of  it  are  not 
difficult  problems  to  solve. 

If  every  Christian  is  dependent  upon  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  the  new  life  implanted  within  his  soul 
and  also  for  the  development  of  this  life  into  en- 
during character,  none  the  less  must  the  Christian 
ministry  be  dependent  upon  the  Spirit  for  the 
special  fitness  and  direction  he  needs  in  his  work. 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  119 

He  must,  in  an  emphatic  sense,  recognize  his  abso- 
lute dependence  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  in  order  to 
success. 

For  three  years,  or  nearly  that,  the  apostles 
had  listened  to  the  divine  Teacher  as  he  spake 
the  truths  that  are  potent  factors  in  the  world's 
redemption,  they  had  stood  by  him  when  he 
wrought  the  mfghtest  works  ever  achieved  among 
men,  and  yet  Jewish  prejudice,  personal  ambition, 
carnal  pride  and  natural  blindness  to  spiritual 
things  had  such  an  all-mastering  influence  over 
them  that  they  were  able  to  comprehend  no  higher 
purpose  for  Christ,  then  the  establishment  of  an 
earthly  kingdom,  the  wearing  of  a  crown  made  of 
earth's  metals  and  decked  with  earthly  jewels  and 
that  they  might  themselves  become  his  chief 
ministers  of  state  in  such  an  earthly  kingdom. 

It  required  the  same  Holy  Spirit  that  ushered 
light  into  the  natural  darkness  at  the  creation, 
to  break  up  their  mental  and  spiritual  darkness 
and  give  the  light  of  eternal  things. 

On  the  first  evening  after  the  morning  of  the 
resurrection  the  Lord  came  into  the  room  where 
the  disciples  were  gathered  and  said  unto  them  : 
"  Peace  be  unto  you  ;  as  the  Father  had  sent  me 
even  so  send  I  you.  And  when  he  had  said  this 
he  breathed  on  them  and  saith  unto  them,  Receive 


120  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

ye  the  Holy  Spirit.  Whosesoever  sins  ye  forgive 
they  are  forgiven  unto  them  and  whosoever  sins 
ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  John  20:  21-23. 

Thus  by  prophetic  symbol  repeating  and  em- 
phasizing the  doctrine  already  taught  them,  that 
*'  the  Spirit  of  truth  when  he  is  come  shall  guide 
you  into  all  the  truth,  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  him- 
self, but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear  shall  he  speak  and 
he  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify 
me  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine  and  shall  shew  it 
unto  you."  John  16:13,  14.  Again  when  he 
stood  with  the  disciples  but  a  short  time  before 
his  ascension  and, they  asked:  "Lord  wilt  thou 
at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel?"  Acts 
1:6,  he  emphasizes  that  the  "  enduement  of  pow- 
er," "  the  promise  of  the  Father,"  must  precede 
their  preparation  for  the  work  to  which  he  had 
assigned  them  and  for  this  they  must  wait.  Uutil 
this  power  and  enlightenment  should  be  received, 
neither  the  ministry,  nor  the  organized  Church, 
nor  yet  the  inspired  Word  would  be  effective  in 
turning  the  world  to  Christ  and  in  establishing 
his  kingdom  in  the  world. 

The  Holy  Spirit  which  was  to  abide  in  the  be- 
liever forever  was  to  be  the  one  supreme  agency 
f orcarrying  on  and  completing  the  work  begun  by 
Christ.  For  this  the  designated  ministry  was  to 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  121 

wait.  Ten  days  were  passed  by  the  disciples  in 
prayer  and  waiting  before  the  promise  of  the 
Father  was  poured  out,  when  lo  !  the  transforma- 
tion is  not  seen  in  the  miraculous  tokens,  but  in 
the  blind,  stupid  children  of  earth  and  sense  being 
such  no  longer.  They  are  now  "  the  sons  of 
light"  walking  in  light.  They  now  comprehend 
spiritual  truth  by  spiritual  power  in  spiritual  light. 
They  are  now  no  longer  satisfied  to" look  at  the 
things  which  are  seen,  but  rather  at  the  things 
which  are  not  seen." 

Paul  emphasizes  the  fact  that  God  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  calls  his  ministers  into  their  special  work 
and  directs  and  aids  them  in  the  details  of  that 
work.  He  went  not  forth  to  his  own  work  until 
so  called.  It  may  be  well  to  notice  that  after 
Paul's  conversion  he  continued  in  prayer  and  the 
acquirement  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  until  such 
times  as  the  Church  was  called  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  set  him  apart  to  the  gospel  ministry.  We  are 
told  that  there  were"in  the  church  at  Antioch 
certain  prophets  and  teachers  and  as  they  minis- 
tered to  the  Lord  and  fasted  the  Holy  Spirit  said, 
separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work 
whereunto  I  have  called  them.  Then  when  they 
had  fasted  and  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on 
them  they  sent  them  away.  So  they,  being  sent 


122  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

forth  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  went."     Acts  13  : 1-4. 

That  Paul  recognizes  the  same  holy  call  for 
others  is  apparent  from  the  emphatic  language  he 
uses  in  that  memorable  address  to  the  elders  of 
the  church  at  Ephesus,  when  he  enjoins  upon 
them  to  "  take  heed  unto  themselves  and  to  all 
the  flock  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  made  you 
bishops,  to  feed  the  Church  of  God  which  he 
purchased  with  his  own  blood."  Acts  20  :  28. 

Again  he  impresses  upon  Timothy  the  necessity 
of  guarding  the  gifts  thus  bestowed  upon  him 
when  he  says  :  "  That  good  thing  which  was  com- 
mitted unto  thee,  guard,  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
which  dwelleth  in  us."  2  Tim.  1:14.  And  so 
he  recognized  that  the  Holy  Spirit  calls  and  en- 
due all  ministers  for  their  work. 

We  have  already  considered  the  question  of 
special  gifts  bestowed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
the  ministry  as  set  forth  in  Paul's  first  epistle  to 
the  Corinthian  church.  It  is  only  necessary  here 
to  note  that  while  he  admits  a  variety  in  the 
ministry  and  a  variety  of  gifts,  he  recognizes  that 
all  are  called  by  the  same  Holy  Spirit,  and  be- 
stowed by  him.  "But  all  these  workeththat  one 
and  the  self-same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man 
severally  as  he  will."  1  Cor.  12:1-11.  The 
one  important  truth  necessary  to  recognize  is  that 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  123 

whatever  office  the  minister  may  be  called  to  and 
whatsoever  gifts  he  may  possess,  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  the  author  and  without  such  authority,  received 
by  himself  and  recognized  by  the  Church,  he 
should  have  no  part  in  the  ministry.  Into  all  the 
details  of  this  ministry  the  Holy  Spirit  enters. 
It  was  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
Philip  was  sent  into  the  desert  to  preach  to  and 
baptize  the  Ethiopian  eunuch.  Acts  8:  29-39. 
It  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who  suffered  not  Paul  and 
Silas  to  go  into  Bythynia  when  they  desired  of 
thenlselves  so  to  do.  Acts  16:7.  And  it  was 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  sent  Peter  to  Joppa  to  preach 
to  Cornelius.  Acts  10:  19,  and  11 :  12.  And  so 
all  through  their  ministry  the  apostles  were  direct- 
ed by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  apostles  recognized  also  that  it  was  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  they  comprehended  the  truth; 
that  he  imparted  to  them  wisdom  and  knowledge- 
So  Paul  declares  that  "  the  [mystery  in  Christ, 
which  in  other  generations  was  not  made  known 
unto  the  sons  of  men,  as  it  hath  now  been  re- 
vealed unto  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets  in  the 
Spirit."  Eph.  3:  5.  Likewise  Peter  says  :  "  Con- 
cerning which  salvation  the  prophets  sought  and 
searched  dilligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace 
that  should  come  unto  you  ;  searching  what  time 


124  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

or  what  manner  of  time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which 
was  in  them  did  point  unto,  when  it  testified  be- 
forehand the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  the  glories 
that  should  follow  them.  To  whom  it  was  re- 
vealed, that  not  unto  themselves  but  unto  you, 
did  they  minister  .  .  .  through  those  who 
preached  the  gospel  unto  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
sent  forth  from  heaven."  1  Pet.  1 :  10-12. 

But  Paul  recognizes  not  simply  the  spiritual 
enlightenment,  but  he  declares  the  most  thorough 
co-operation  of  the  Spirit  in  all  his  successes.  So 
to  the  church  at  Thessolonica  he  writes  :  "'Our 
gospel  came  not  unto  you  in  word  only,  but  also 
in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  much  as- 
surance. And  ye  ...  received  the  word 
V  .  .  with  joy  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  1  Thes. 
1:5,  6.  And  to  the  church  at  Corinth  :  "  My 
speech  and  my  preaching  were  not  in  persuasive 
words  of  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  of  power  ;  that  your  faith  should  not 
stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of 
God."  1  Cor.  2:4,  5.  Also  to  the  church  at 
Rome  he  writes:  "I  will  not  dare  to  speak  of 
any  things  save  those  which  Christ  wrought  through 
me,  for  the  obedience  of  the  Gentiles,  by  word 
and  deed,  in  the  power  of  signs  and  wonders,  in 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  125 

the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  Rom.  15: 
18,  19. 

Thus  do  the  apostles  recognize  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  not  only  saves  them  as  others  are  saved 
and  sanctifies  them  as  others  are  sanctified,  but 
that  beyond  these  he  calls  them  into  the  ministry. 
He  directs  them  in  their  work.  He  gives  power 
to  the  word  preached.  He  imparts  all  needed 
grace  and  strength.  He  controls  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  development  of  the  Church,  and  makes 
the  ministry  the  power  of  salvation  to  a  dying 
world.  Is  the  ministry  in  doubt,  or  peril,  or 
trouble?  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  divine  helper. 
He  opens  the  way  when  dark.  He  directs  in  the 
way  and  the  work. 

From  the  above  passage  quoted  it  will  be  seen 
that  this  co-operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  the 
gospel  ministry  was  not  to  cease  with  the  death 
of  the  apostles,  but  was  to  continue  unto  the  end 
of  the  world.  But  it  does  not  follow  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  or  does  co-operate  with  any  who 
either  do  not  seek  his  aid  or  recognize  it  when 
given.  Hence  the  vital  importance  to  the  Church 
and  the  world,  that  the  ministry  shall  be  a  minis- 
try of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  that  the  ministry  shall 
recognize  their  need  of  his  full  co-operation;  that 
the  ministry  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  accom- 


126  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

plish  the  Holy  purpose  for  which  they  were  call- 
ed unlo  the  work  only  when  they  realize  that  no 
other  power  can  fit  them  for  the  work. 

*'  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  127 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT   IN   THE    CHURCH. 

We  have  seen  that  the  religion  that  Jesus  gave 
to  the  world  is  a  new  life,  begun  in  the  soul  and 
carried  on  into  likeness  to  the  founder,  in  every 
one  who  will  receive  the  blessed  ministry  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  a  church  then  this  religion  be- 
comes a  life  common  to  all,  diffused  through 
many  members,emanating  from  a  common  source 
and  tending  toward  a  common  result.  Every 
student  recognizes  that  all  life  manifests  itself 
through  organization.  Common  natures  tend  to- 
ward union  in  form,as  well  as  unity  in  principle. 
When  then  we  have  found  that  the  Christian  life 
is  secured  through  the  creating  anew  of  the  soul 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  continued  and  perfected 
by  the  indwelling  of  the  same  Holy  Spirit,  we 
have  found  the  central  fact  around  which  such 
Christian  lives  will  tend  to  cluster  and  upon 
which  they  may  be  expected  to  take  organic  f  of- 
niation.  Nothing  was  more  natural  then  than 


128  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

when  Christians  began  to  multiply  in  numbers 
and  in  various  locations  as  they  believed  the 
word  preached,  that  they  should,  whether  few  or 
many  in  each  locality,  cluster  into  organic  form— 
and  that  with  progress  in  numbers  and  power 
the  organization  should  become  effective  in  car- 
rying forward  the  general  purposes  of  Christian 
life.  And  so  this  very  organization  would  be- 
come a  means  of  blessing.  The  history  of  the 
church  reveals  just  this  natural  result  as  the  one 
which  did  actually  occur.  As  we  shall  see,  it  was 
the  purpose  of  the  Lord  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  secure  such  a  result.  To  direct  and  control 
the  various  fe.atures  of  the  organization  and  so 
make  the  church  a  part  of  the  great  gospel 
scheme  for  the  salvation  of  the  world.  The 
Scriptures  recognize  this  presence  and  control  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  not  only  in  the  formation  of  the 
churches,  but  in  their  subsequent  history  and  de- 
velopment. And  so  at  Jerusalem  when  the  time 
came  to  choose  the  first  officers  of  the  church  the 
apostles,  under  the  direction  now  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  enjoined  the  disciples  to  "  Look  ye  out 
therefore  brethren,  from  among  you,  seven  men 
of  good  report  full  of  the  Spirit  and  of  wisdom." 
Acts  6  :  3.  And  as  we  have  seen  in  the  designat- 
ing of  the  ministry — in  calling  them  to  new 


THF    HOLY    SPIRIT.  129 

fields  to  preach  and  when  churches  were  planted 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  the  recognized  leader  and  di- 
rector. It  is  said  "  that  the  churches  had  peace, 
being  edified — and  walking  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Acts.  9  :  31.  Instruction  and  direction  in  duty 
and  order  were  under  the  control  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  were  so  recognized  by  the  apostles. 
In  the  relation  of  the  Jews  to  the  Gentiles — said 
the  apostles,  "It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  to  us  to  lay  upon  you  no  greater  burden  than 
these  necessary  things."  Acts  15:28.  And 
Paul  emphasizes  that  the  elders  of  the  church  at 
Ephesus  were  given  the  oversight  of  the  church 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  "  Take  heed  unto  your- 
selves and  to  all  the  flock,  over  the  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  hath  made  you  bishops."  Acts 
20:28. 

Paul  again  recognizes  this  intimate  relationship 
when  he  declares  that  not  only  the  Christian  as 
an  individual — but  the  body  of  Christians  com- 
posing the  church — are  a  'temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of 
God  and  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you.  If 
any  man  destroy eth  the  temple  of  God  him  shall 
God  destroy  for  the  temple  of  God  is  holy 
which  temple  ye  are."  1  Cor,  3:  16,17. 


130  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

By  the  church  as  the  Temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit, Paul  here  evidently  means  the  local  church. 
The  spiritual  affinity  and  interdependence  of 
these  local  churches  is  unfolded  in  Paul's  letter  to 
the  Ephesian  church  where  he  says  "  so  then  ye 
are  no  more  strangers  and  sojourners,  but  ye  are 
fellow  citizens  with  the  saints  and  of  the  house- 
hold of  God,  being  built  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  apostles  and  prophets,  Christ  Jesus  himself 
being  the  chief  corner-stone  :  in  whom  each  sev- 
eral building  fitly  framed  together;  groweth 
into  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,  in  whom  ye  also 
are  builded  together  for  a  habitation  of  God  in 
the  Spirit."  Eph.  2  :  19-22.  Here  Paul  is  look- 
ing forward  to  the  completion  of  Christ's  work 
when  the  Holy  Sanctuary  shall  descend  with  the 
new  heavens  and  the  new  earth;  but  at  the  same 
time  he  is  looking  at  each  local  church,  (out  of 
which  ultimatly  the  Holy  Sanctuary  will  come,) 
as  a  present  temple  of  the  Spirit,  made  of  living 
members,  each  of  whom  is  also  a  temple  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

It  is  in  recognition  of  such  unity  in  the  church 
that  he  says:  "  For  as  the  body  is  one  and  hath 
many  members  and  all  the  members  of  the  body 
being  many  are  one  body,  so  also  is  Christ.  For 
in  one  Spirit  were  we  all  baptized  into  one  body 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  131 

whether  Jews  or  Greeks — whether  bond  or  free 
and  were  all  made  to  drink  of  one  Spirit." 
1  Cor.  12 :  12, 13.  He  here  recognizes  the  or- 
ganic union  of  the  church  and  the  purpose  of  the 
two  ordinances  in  symbolizing  this  union.  Bap- 
tism stands  as  the  confession  of  a  common  Lord 
through  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  all  were  so  baptized. 
The  cup  stands  as  the  token  of  his  redeeming 
blood  through  the  Holy  Spirit  and  all  have  drank 
of  it.  This  same  thought  is  made  more  emphatic 
when  he  enjoins  the  Ephesians  by  "  Giving  dili- 
gence to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace.  There  is  one  body  and  one  Spirit  even 
as  also  ye  were  called  in  one  hope  of  your  call- 
ing— one  Lord — one  faith — one  baptism — one 
God  and  Father  of  all  who  is  over  all,  and 
through  all  and  in  all."  Eph.  4:  3-5.  And  so 
it  is  on  this  same  principle  of  a  spiritual  unity 
that  he  says  to  the  Philippian  church  * '  Jf  there 
is  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit — fulfill  ye  my 
joy,  that  ye  be  of  the  same  mind,  having  the 
same  love — being  of  one  accord  of  one  mind." 
Phil.  2:1,2.  Thus  does  the  apostle  recognize 
that  through  the  Holy  Spirit  there  is  a  visible 
union  of  the  church.  That  the  Holy  Spirit  im- 
parts the  life  which  forms  the  basis  of  this  union. 
That  the  ordinances  are  a  visible  representation 


132  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

of  the  basis  of  this  union  committed  to  the 
church  as  an  organization.  The  church  express- 
ing this  spiritual  life  through  its  united  member- 
ship is  entrusted  with  the  ordinances  and  by 
them  together  with  the  word  is  to  witness  to  this 
spiritual  life.  The  apostle  recognizes  this  power 
of  the  church  through  the  Holy  Spirit  to  witness 
to  Christ.  And  indeed  it  had  been  promised  by 
the  Lord  when  he  said  :  "  When  the  Comforter 
is  come  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the 
Father,  the  Spirit  of  truth  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Father  he  shall  bear  witness  of  me : 
And  ye  also  shall  bear  witness  because  ye  have 
been  with  me  from  the  beginning."  John  15: 
26,27.  Now  put  this  in  connection  with  the  in- 
structions given  just  before  his  ascension.  "  And 
ye  shall  receive  power  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
come  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  witnesses." 
Acts  1 :  $.  In  this  we  see  the  direct  relationship 
sustained  between  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  church 
as  they  witness  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
only  Savior  of  men.  We  have  already  seen  how 
the  apostle  recognizes  the  disciples  as  baptized 
into  one  name,  sitting  at  the  table  spread  with 
the  emblems  of  their  Lord's  suffering;  but  this 
union  should  characterize  the  whole  range  of 
church  work,  or  else  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  133 

church  will  not  be  able  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
value  of  Christ's  work  as  the  Savior  such  as  the 
world  in  sin  most  needs.  The  apostle  John  sig- 
nificantly combines  these  witnesses  to  Christ  as 
the  Savior  of  men  when  he  declares.  "  Jesus 
Christ  came  by  water  and  blood.  And  it  is  the 
Spirit  that  beareth  witness — because  the  Spirit  is 
the  truth.  For  there  are  three  who  bear  witness. 
The  Spirit  and  the  water  and  the  blood,  and  the 
three  agree  in  one."  1  John  5 :  6-8. 

The  Holy  Spirit  dwelt  in  Christ.  He  now 
dwells  in  Christ's  churches,  and  the  ordinances 
are  part  of  the  church  service.  Thus  the  in- 
dwelling Spirit  witnesses  by  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  supper  for  Christ  to  the  believer  and 
through  him  to  the  world.  Thus  there  is  estab- 
lished that  the  Holy  Spirit  utilizes  the  Holy  or- 
dinance of  the  church  by  which  to  witness  to 
Christ  Jesus  as  the  Redeemer. 

The  first  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Revelation 
containing  the  messages  to  the  seven  churches  of 
Asia  set  forth  that  not  only  is  Christ  watching 
his  people,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  is  concerned  for 
their  welfare  ;and  the  seven  times  repeated  "  He 
that  hath  ears  to  hear  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  to  the  churches  "  is  but  another  em- 


134  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

phatic  testimony  to  the  necessity  for  most  hearty 
co-operatien  between  them. 

Thus  do  the  Scriptures  set  forth  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  controlled  the  primary  inauguration  of  the 
church  as  an  organization ;  led  and  directed  in 
the  choice  of  her  officials;  directed  her  advance 
missionary  m  ovements ;  gave  to  her  membership 
comfort  in  times  of  distress  ;  edification  in  times 
of  doubt  and  uncertainty  ;  makes  her  ordinances 
and  the  preached  word  witnesses  to  Christ. 

They  also  set  forth  that  he  warns,  entreats  and 
helps  ;  that  he  forms  the  condition  of  union  in 
her  membership ;  that  he  blesses  her  ministers  in 
preaching;  and  that  he  abides  within  her  body. 
Making  thus  the  church  to  be  Holy  in  her  calling, 
work  and  mission. 

No  wonder  that  the  apostle  recognizing  this 
relationship,  as  he  looked  by  prophetie  vision 
upon  the  history  of  the  church  through  all  time 
until  her  Lord  shall  come,  should  see  such  a 
union  of  purpose  in  their  work  that  he  could  ex- 
claim :  "The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come. 
And  let  him  that  heareth  say,  come.  And  let 
him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let 
him  take  the  water  of  life  fre  ely."  Rev.  22  : 17. 
Without  the  Holy  Spirit  the  church  could  do 
nothing  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit  the  church 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  135 

shall  go  on  in  her  work — winning  souls  to  Christ, 
breaking  down  the  bulwarks  of  sin  and  building 
up  all  righteousness  until  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world  shall  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

"Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


136  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


CO-OPERATION  WITH  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

Our  study,  so  far,  has  been  to  ascertain  what 
the  Holy  Spirit  does  from  the  time  when  the  first 
impression  is  made  upon  the  mind  of  the  sinner 
through  all  the  stages-  of  Christian  development 
in  life  and  work.  We  have  endeavored  to  follow 
this  line  of  thought  through  every  phase  of  Chris- 
tian life,  and  in  the  light  of  the  divine  word  we 
have  seen  how  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  one  power 
without  which  nothing  can  be  accomplished.  But 
the  gospel  recognizes  that  in  every  stage  of  the 
Holy  Spirit's  operation  upon  the  soul, there  must  be 
response  to,  and  co-operation  with  the  Holy  Spirit's 
influences.  Men  are  not  recognized  as  blocks  of 
marble,  to  be  taken  from  the  quarry  and  in  the 
artist's  hand  transformed  into  a  divine  likeness  or 
Christ-like  image.  They  are  not  machines  in  the 
hands  of  the  engineer  to  be  made  of  service  by 
moving  so  many  levers.  They  are  not  lumps  of 
clay  in  the  hand  of  the  potter  molded  without 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  137 

their  volition.  They  are  "  not  dumb,  driven 
cattle"  coming  and  going  at  the  owner's  will. 
In  some  sense  all  or  any  of  these  illustrations  may 
be  fitting,  but  not  in  the  complete  sense — not 
absolutely.  Men  are  made  a  little  lower  than  the 
angels,  endowed  with  reason,  will,  judgment, 
memory  :  faculties  implying  intelligence  and  nat- 
ural power  of  action,  plan,  purpose  and  desire. 
And  the  Holy  Spirit  recognizes  this  in  all  his  deal- 
ings with  men,  and  lays  upon  them  the  responsi- 
bility of  co-operation  with  his  work  and  response 
to  his  holy  influences.  We  have  already  consid- 
ered the  negative  side  of  the  question  in  the  chap- 
ter on  sins  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  shall 
now  consider  the  positive  side  as  it  relates  to  the 
duties  and  obligations  laid  upon  the  Christian. 
Recognizing  that"  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit 
of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his," — Rom.  8  :9, — and 
that  "if  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creat- 
ure," AVe  shall  enquire  how  is  this  regenerated 
soul  to  co-operate  with,  or  respond  to  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(a)  The  first  injunction  is  implied  in  Paul's 
statement:  "They  that  are  after  the  flesh  do 
mind  the  things  of  the  flesh,  but  they  that  are 
after  the  Spirit,  the  things  of  the  Spirit."  Rom. 
8  :  5.  Here  the  teaching  is  that  in  obeying  the 


138  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

Spirit  we  develop  spiritual  mindedness,  or  come 
to  know  and  possess  the  mind  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  argument  is  conclusive.  The  Christian, 
having  been  born  anew,  will  realize  that  in  all  his 
mental  processes  he  shall  be  subject  to  the  will  of 
God.  He  must  seek  to  know  and  do  God's  will ; 
and  this  implies  that  he  possesses'the  mind  of  the 
Spirit  which  dwells  in  him.  The  danger,  however, 
is,  that  because  of  the  conflict  between  the  fleshly 
and  spiritual  natures  he  will  be  led  at  times  to 
obey  the  impulses  of  the  flesh  and  so  hinder,  not 
only  the  work  of  God  in  his  own  soul,  but  his 
power  over  the  souls  of  others.  But  seeking  to 
know  the  plans  and  purposes  of  the  Spirit  for  him, 
the  Christian  will  realize  his  own  weakness,  and 
thereby  his  dependence  upon  the  Spirit  and  his 
need  of  a  stronger,  higher,  holier  life..  Having 
learned  from  the  Spirit  the  life  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  he  will  seek  to  grow  in  grace  and  become 
more  and  more  Christ-like.  The  very  lowest 
possible  condition  of  Christian  life  admits  of  won- 
derous  possibilities.  Can  there  be  such  a  thing 
as  a  Christian  life  where  the  soul  does  not  seek 
to  know  the  mind  of  the  SDiritand  to  do  the  divine 
will  thus  revealed  I 

(6)     One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  pre- 
sented to  the  Christian   is  to  do  God's  will ;  move 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  139 

steadily  on  and  l>y  faith  grasp  the  promises.  Or  in 
other  words,  to  wait  for  God  to  work  out  his  own 
plans  for  us  and  in  us.  So  repeated  injunctions 
lay  upon  us  the  necessity  of  patience  in  our  work. 
The  apostle  recognizes  that  the  Spirit  will  do  his 
own  work  in  his-  own  way  and  at  his  own  time 
and  it  is  ours  to  bide  his  time,  doing  our  part  faith- 
fully. And  so  Paul  declares  that  "  we  through 
the  Spirit  by  faith  wait  for  the  hope  of  right- 
eousness." Gal.  5:5.  It  sometimes  requires 
more  grace  to  do  our  duty  and  wait  for  the  Spirit 
to  reward  than  in  almost  any  other  line  of  Chris- 
tian service.  One  of  the  striking  characteristics 
of  the  apostles  in  their  labors  was  their  willing- 
ness to  wait  on  the  Holy  Spirit  to  direct,  to  con- 
trol and  to  reward.  Very  much  of  the  force  of 
the  eighth  chapter  of  Romans  turns  on  this  Chris- 
tian duty  of  waiting  on  the  Holy  Spirit  to  do  his 
own  will  and  to  bring  to  us  the  consummation  of 
Christian  hope  in  the  glorious  resurrection  from 
the  dead.  Shall  the  church,  or  the  ministry,  or 
the  believer  in  any  position  be  less  vigilant,  or 
earnest  or  zealous,  or  make  less  sacrifices,  or  en- 
dure less  burdens  because  the  Spirit  waits  the  con- 
trol of  the  eternal  mind  rather  than  of  our  finite 
plans?  Nay,  it  is  ours  to  serve,  waiting  for  his 
wisdom  to  determine  the  times  and  seasons  for 


140  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

harvest  and  the  nature  and  character  of  the  re- 
ward. 

(c)  As  we  have  seen  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  in- 
tercessor at  the  throne  of  our  hearts  in  prayer. 
It  becomes  the  Christian  to  recognize  this  and  in 
seeking  to  do  God's  will  make  his  petitions  known 
at  the  great  throne  of  mercy  under  the  control 
of  the  Spirit.  Hence  the  injunction  to  pray  in 
the  spirit:  "With  all  prayer  and  supplication, 
praying  at  all  seasons  in  the  Spirit  and  watching 
thereunto."  Eph.fi:  18.  Again:  "But  ye,  be- 
loved, building  up  yourselves  on  your  most  holy 
faith,  praying  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  keep  yourselves 
in  the  love  of  God,  looking  for  the  mercy  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eternal  life."  Jude 
20:21.  This  same  doctrine  in  recognized  by 
Paul  when  he  says:  "We  are  the  circumcision 
who  worship  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and  glory  in 
Christ  Jesus."  Phil.  3:3. 

This  language  is  emphatic  and  plain.  TheChris- 
tian  who  would  approach  the  author  of  all  blessings 
must  come  in  the  Spirit,  led  by  him,  controlled  by 
him,  inspired  by  him,  taught  by  him.  Here  is  the 
condition  of  successful  prayer.  Here  is  the  con- 
dition of  power  with  men  and  power  with  God. 
The  heart  under  the  control  of  the  ever-present 
Spirit  has  power  to  send  its  petitions  to  the  throne 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  141 

of  the  Eternal  and  will  receive  answers  from  him. 
(cZ)  One  of  the  chief  blessings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  world  has  been  in  the  inspiration  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  but  this  implies  that  the 
Christian  must  use  them.  The  inspired  revela- 
tion of  God  would  be  of  little  value,  either  to 
saint  or  sinner,  shut  up  in  cloisters.  The  sinner 
may  realize  his  condition  as  lost.  The  Christian 
may  know  his  own  need  of  direction  and  comfort 
and  they  will  remain  unblessed  so  long  as  the 
Bible  remains  a  closed  book.  But  the  open  Bible, 
proclaimed,  enforced,  taught,  is  the  giant  power 
in  the  hands  of  Christians  for  the  destruction  of 
sin.  The  world  calls  preaching  foolishness,  and 
it  is,to  them  that  perish — not  to  the  saved.  The 
power  of  evil  may  ask,  what  is  the  Church  going 
to  do  with  the  Bible?  But,  stripling  though  she 
seems  to  be,  she  can  sever  the  giant's  head. 
"The  Word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful ;  sharper 
than  any  two-edged  sword."  Hear  inspiration 
then  in  the  command  to  the  Christian,  that  in  his 
conflict  with  the  organized  forces  of  evil  he  must 
"  take  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  which  is  the  Word 
of  God."  Eph.  6:17.  The  disciples  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  must  recognize  their  obligation  to  use 
this  weapon  of  God  which  he  has  put  into  their 


142  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

hands  and  without  which  their  best  endeavors  will 
be  but  significant  failures.  • 

(e)  Step  by  step  we  are  led  to  see  that  the 
religion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  a  practical  religion. 
While  much  of  mystery  gathers  around  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  regeneration  and  Christian 
growth,  yet  the  practical  duties  are  so  plainly  en- 
forced as  to  leave  but  little  room  for  doubt  as  to 
their  importance.  The  disciple  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  is  to  recognize  the  divine  Master  as  an  en- 
sample  in  every  phase  of  life,  and  if  to  this  end 
he  is  "  led  by  the  Spirit  "  and  "  strengthened  by 
the  Spirit,"  it  follows  that  he  must  yield  obe- 
dience to  the  Spirit.  Hence  the  injunction  to  the 
disciple:  "But  I  say,  walk  by  the  Spirit  and 
ye  shall  not  fulfill  the  lust  of  the  flesh.  For  the 
flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit  and  the  Spirit 
against  the  flesh."  Gal.  5:  16,  17.  "  If  we  live 
by  the  Spirit,  by  the  Spirit  let  us  also  walk." 
Gal.  5  :  25.  "  For  what  the  law  could  not  do  in 
that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God,  sending 
his  own  son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for 
sin,  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh,  that  theordinance 
of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  Rom. 
8  :3,  4.  Thus  the  conflict  of  the  dual  natures  is 
made  an  assured  victory  by  the  subjection  of  the 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  143 

believer  to  the  Holy  Spirit's  control,  so  that  in 
all  things  the  master- force  in  the  soul  is  not  the 
carnal  nature,  but  the  Spirit,  under  whos.e  hallow- 
ed influences  the  whole  way  of  life  is  walked. 

(f)  But  again,  the  Christian  is  confronted 
with  the  fact  that  not  only  his  feet  are  to  be 
directed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  the  doing  of  his 
hands  are  likewise  to  recognize  the  supremacy  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  over  his  entire  life.  The  busi- 
ness of  life,  the  investments  of  power,  whether 
that  power  be  in  gold  and  silver,  or  education,  or 
social  influence,  or  habits  of  life,  or  decisions,  or 
plans,  or  endeavor,  or  whatever  it  be  which  calls 
for  effort,  in  this  also  he  must  recognize  his  al- 
legiance to  God.  Hence  the  warning :  "  Be  not 
deceived ;  God  is  not  mocked  ;  f or  whatsoever  a 
man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.  For  he  that 
soweth  unto  his  own  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap 
corruption ;  but  he  that  soweth  unto  the  Spirit 
shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  eternal  life."  Gal.  6  :  7,  8 
How  forcible  the  apostle's  conclusion  :  "  So  then 
as  we  have  opportunity,  let  us  work  that  which  is 
good  toward  all  men."  This  means  then  the 
whole  life  consecrated  to  the  divine  will,  and  since 
God  has  consecsated  so  much  to  us,  why  should 
not  the  disciple  be  thus  fully  consecrated. 

(</)     That  this  is  implied  in  the  very  fact  of 


144  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

being  such  Christians  as  Christ,  his  church  and 
the  world  needs,  is  seen  in  the  final  injunction, 
"  Be  filled  with  the  Spirit ;  speaking  one  to  another 
in  psalms  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs,  singing 
and  making  melody  with  your  heart  to  the  Lord  ; 
giving  thanks  always  for  all  things  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  God,  even  the  Father  ; 
subjecting  yourselves  one  to  another  in  the  fear  of 
Christ."  Eph.  5:  18-21.  Such  a  Christian  life 
of  joy  and  gladness  as  is  implied  in  these  words 
is  not  possible  to  one  who  is  not  "  filled  with  the 
Spirit."  And  if  the  holy  men  of  old  were  not 
able  to  do  God's  will  on  the  earth  except  as  they 
were  filled  with  the  Spirit,  how  can  we?  If  our 
blessed  Lord  himself  must,  as  the  Son  of  man,  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit;  if  prophet,  patriarch 
and  priest  were  also  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
if  John,  the  Harbinger  of  our  Lord,  was  also  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit;  if  martyrs,  whose  blood 
has  been  the  seed  of  the  Church,  were  filled  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  does  not  the  Church  to-day  need 
to  heed  this  imperative  command  if  she  would  in 
her  membership  carry  out  the  great  commission 
of  our  blessed  Lord  I  Mark  well  the  divine  teach- 
ing at  this  point.  We  are  not  to  pray  for  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  is  here.  We  are  not  to  seek  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit.  That  has  been  accom- 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  145 

plished  according  to  the  Lord's  promise.  We 
are  not  to  look  for  his  coming,  he  has  come.  He 
dwells  in  the  believer.  He  is  in  the  world  doing 
his  promised  work  in  the  Church.  He  is  here. 
This  is  his  dispensation.  This  is  his  day  of  power. 
This  is  his  day  of  sovereign  control.  This  is  his 
time  of  preparation  in  the  Church  for  the  return 
of  our  blessed  Lord.  What  are  Christians  to  do? 
How  are  they  to  recognize  his  presence  and  his 
power?  The  answer  is  seven-fold.  1.  Mind  the 
things  of  the  Spirit.  2.  Wait  for  the  direction 
and  reward  of  the  Spirit.  3.  Pray  in  the  Spirit. 
4.  Use  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  5.  Walk  by  the 
Spirit.  6.  Sow  to  the  Spirit.  7.  Be  filled  with 
the  Spirit.  Such  is  the  blessed  privilege  of  the 
Christian.  Yea  more,  such  is  the  imperative 
duty  of  the  Christian.  With  such  high  and  holy 
co-operation  realized  in  every  beliving  soul  the 
tiipe  of  the  triumph  of  Christ  would  not  be  far 
distant.  The  duty  of  believers  toward  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  clear.  He  waits — he  works.  Oh,  that 
a  weak  and  wearied  church  would  realize  the 
source  of  her  strength !  Would  awaken  to  her 
duty !  Would  arouse  to  her  high  privilege  and 
enter  into  her  real  life  I  Then  would  her  Lord 
come.  Then  would  the  darkness  give  place  to 


146  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

light,  and   sadness  to  rejoicing.     May  Christians 
hasten  to  their  duty. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning, 
ia  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  147 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


TESTS    OF    THE    INDWELLING    SPIRIT. 

fto  other  interest  is  BO  vital  as  the  soul's 
eternal  welfare.  Concerning  this  no  one  can  af- 
ford to  make  any  mistake.  But  in  view  of  the 
bitter  antagonism  waged  by  Satan  against  Christ 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  enemy  of  men's  souls 
seeks  to  deceive  and  delude  them.  To  hush  the 
voice  of  conscience  in  the  awakened  sinner.  To 
soothe  and  flatter  him  with  false  hopes  and  mis- 
taken experiences.  To  weaken  the  power  of  the 
Christian  and  even  to  produce  in  some  a  counter- 
feit experience  and  so  not  only  hold  some  souls  in 
delusion,  but  if  possible  to  deceive  the  very  elect. 
Emotions  of  mind  and  heart  are  subject  to  vari- 
ous influences.  Mental  and  physical  experiences 
change  with  varying  conditions  of  health  and 
climate  and  temperature.  The  laws  of  mind  and 
Spirit  are  very  imperfectly  understood.  And 
with  his  devices,  of  which  we  are  not  ignorant, 
Satan  may  and  no  doubt  often  does  awaken  false 


148  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

grounds  of  confidence  and  so  keep  the   deceived 
soul  in  the  bonds  of  iniquity. 

But  as  if  anticipating  these  very  facts  we  are 
not  left  by  the  inspired  word  in  necessary  doubt 
as  to  whether  the  Holy  Spirit  does  dwell  in  the 
believer — as  to  whether  we  are  regenerated  or 
not  and  so  of  course  as  to  whether  we  are  saved. 
God  has  given  us  certain  infallible  tests  by  which 
we  can  determine  whether  the  experience  we  have 
is  begotten  by  the  Holy  Spirit  or  not.  The 
Apostle  John  says  :  '  *  And  hereby  we  know  that 
he  abideth  in  us  by  the  Spirit  which  he  gave  us." 
1  John  3 :  24.  And  then  as  if  anticipating  the 
very  difficulties  we  have  suggested  and  to  help 
the  Christian  to  know  the  truth  and  to  believe  no 
lie,  he  adds:  "Beloved,  believed  not  every 
spirit,  but  prove  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of 
God,  because  many  false  prophets  are  gone  out 
into  the  world."  1  John  4:1.  He  then  pro- 
ceeds to  give  seven  certain  and  infallible  tests, 
which  taken  as  a  whole  make  a  perfect  chain  of 
proof  of  the  experience  of  the  true  believer  as 
begotten  in  the  soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit  so  that 
any  one  by  testing  his  own  experience  by  this 
means  can  know  whether  he  is  born  of  God  or 
not.  And  be  it  remembered  that  the  witness  of 
the  Spirit  constitutes  one  of  the  means  by  which 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  149 

we  can  know  whether  we  are  saved  or  not. 
"  For  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us  by  the 
Spirit  which  he  gave  us." 

(a)  The  first  proof  of  the  genuine  witness  of 
the  Spirit  is  in  the  personal  confession  of  Christ 
before  men.  "  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of 
God :  every  Spirit  which  confesseth  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh  is  of  God  ;  and  every 
Spirit  which  coufesseth  not  Jesus  is  not  of  God  : 
and  this  is  the  Spirit  of  the  anti-Christ,  whereof 
ye  have  heard  that  it  cometh  ;  and  now  it  is  in 
the  world  already."  Vs.  2  and  3.  These  words 
demand  the  soul's  recognition  of  Christ  the  Son 
of  man,  as  thfe  only  Savior  of  man.  They  com- 
pel the  believer  in  the  Man  of  sorrows  to  confess 
before  men  allegiance  to  him  as  the  Lord  Jesus. 
No  salvation  is  implied  here  upon  moral  or  ethi- 
cal grounds.  It  is  the  Christ  who  came  as  the 
son  of  man,  who  was  crucified,  and  died  for  our 
sins.  It  is  he  who  is  the  sinner's  confession.  In 
him  the  true  disciple  glories.  This  is  but  a  repe- 
tition of  the  Master's  own  words  when  he 
promised  :  "  Every  one  therefore  who  shall  con- 
fess me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  before 
my  father  who  is  in  heaven.  But  who  ever  shall 
deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before 
my  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  Matt.  10  :  32,  33. 


150  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Hence  if  the  Holy  Spirit  is  abiding  in  us  he  will 
lead  us  to  confession  of  Christ  and  whatever 
would  hinder  us  from  such  confession  is  not  part 
of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  but  is  anti-Christ. 

No  trouble  here  then  to  determine  of  what 
Spirit  ye  are.  He  that  is  ashamed  of  Jesus,  yea, 
he  who  will  not  confess  Jesus,  can  know  that  he 
has  not  the  life  within  his  soul  which  will  stand 
the  test  at  the  great  judgment.  No  matter  what 
it  may  be  that  would  hinder,  the  language  is  em- 
phatic that  the  first  test  of  the  abiding  Spirit  is 
the  willingness  of  the  soul  to  stand  in  alignment 
with  all  the  marked  soldiers  who  battle  under  the 
blood-stained  cross  of  the  crucified»Christ. 

(6)  But  the  disciple  who  thus  confesses  will 
go  still  further;  he  will  not  only  overcome  the 
spirit  of  anti-Christ  in  himself,  but  in  all  his  sur- 
roundings. The  power  of  victory  is  a  necessary 
result  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  Hence  the  lan- 
guage of  the  second  test:  "Ye  are  of  God, 
little  children,  and  have  overcome  them  ;  because 
greater  is  he  that  is  in  you  than  he  that  is  in  the 
world."  V.  4.  The  Spirit  of  him  who  raised 
up  Jesus  from  the  dead  is  in  the  true  believer, 
and  that  same  power  is  not  there  to  surrender 
the  soul  to  the  power  of  darkness.  He  must  be 
a  conquerer.  Every  form  of  antagonism  to 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  151 

Christ,  whether  in  the  heart  or  in  the  flesh  or  in 
the  world  or  in  the  devil  will  be  mastered  by  him 
whose  dwelling  is  in  his  soul,  the  all  conquering 
Spirit  of  Christ. 

The  logic  is  irresistible.  If  the  believer  is 
Christ's  and  Christ's  Spirit  dwells  in  him  they 
are  one  in  motive,  purpose,  and  plan  ;  and  that 
Spirit  which  filled  the  Lord  so  that  he  cast  out 
the  legions  of  demons  which  possessed  men,  even 
when  they  cried  out  against  him,  can  to-day 
overcome  every  spirit  of  anti-Christ.  The  Spirit 
of  Christ  and  of  anti-Christ  can  not  dwell  in  the 
same  soul  at  the  same  time,  and  if  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  dwell  there  the  Spirit  of  anti-Christ  is 
cast  out ;  and  if  he  is  cast  out  the  redeemed  soul 
has  power  to  and  will  overcome  all  evil,  all  sin, 
all  unholy  plans  and  purposes. 

.(c)  The  third  test  is  couched  in  these  words  : 
"  They  are  of  the  world  :  therefore  speak  they  as 
of  the  world,  and  the  world  heareth  them.  We 
are  of  God ;  he  that  knoweth  God  heareth  us  ; 
he  who  is  not  of  God  heareth  us  not.  By  this 
we  know  the  Spirit  of  trufh,  and  the  Spirit  of 
error."  Verses  5  and  6.  This  test  implies 
not  simply  attention  to  the  inspired  teachings 
of  the  apostles,  but  obedience  as  well.  And 
this  test  is  based  on  fundamental  truth.  As  Christ 


152  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

came  into  the  world  to  do  the  will  of  the  Father, 
so  the  disciple  in  whom  dwells  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
in  the  world  to  hear  and  obey  Christ.  "If  ye 
love  me  keep  my  commandments,"  said  the 
Lord. 

And  so  from  the  moment  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
takes  up  his  abode  in  the  regenerate  soul,  on 
through  his  whole  eternal  existence  the  one  ab- 
sorbing question  is  "Lord  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?"  "I  am  Christ's  and  he  is  mine," 
is  the  voice  of  the  true  believer,  and  no  deception 
is  possible  here.  Not  only  must  the  hands  be  the 
hands  of  the  desired  son,  but  the  voice  will  be 
his  also,  and  obedience  becomes  the  test.  The 
Spirit  which  ignores,  or  rejects,  or  slights,  or 
disobeys  the  will  of  the  Lord  is  anti-Christ. 

(cZ)  The  obedience  of  the  soul  in  whom 
dwells  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  the  obedience  of.  a 
slave  but  of  a  free  born  child.  Hence  all  true 
obedience  springs  from  love.  But  the  Master 
has  plainly  taught  his  disciples  that  service  ren- 
dered to  Him  must  take  the  form  of  service  be- 
stowed upon  his  chosen  and  needy  ones.  The 
apostle  then  makes  the  fourth  test  of  the  indwell- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  consist  in  love  to  one 
another  and  a  love  that  knows  no  limitations  to  a 
needed  service.  "Beloved,  let  us  love  one  an- 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  153 

other ;  for  love  is  of  God  ;  and  every  one  that 
loveth  is  begotten  of  God,  and  kuoweth  God. 
He  that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  God  ;  for  God  is 
love."  Verses.  7,8.  And  then  the  apostle  de- 
terminesthe  nature  and  character  of  this  love  in 
the  light  of  Christ's  love  for  us. 

The  love  which  becomes  the  test  of  the  witness 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  soul  looks  at  duty  in 
the  light  of  Calvary.  Tt  is  not  a  sentiment,  it  is 
a  life  revealed -in  service.  It  is  not  a  profession, 
it  is  a  consecration.  No  stronger  argument  can 
be  used  than  the  apostle's,  who  leads  the  Chris- 
tian where  he  can  see  the  manifestation  of  God's 
love  to  us  in  the  sacrifice  of  Calvary,  and  then 
says:  "Beloved,  if  God  so  love  us,  we  also 
ought  to  love  one  another.  No  man  hath  seen 
God  at  any  time  ;  if  we  love  one  another,  God 
abideth  in  us,  and  his  love  is  perfected  in  us, 
hereby  know  we  that  we  abide  in  him,  and  he  in 
us,  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit." 
Verses  11-13.  And  this  love  thus  revealed  in 
our  efforts  for  others  becomes  a  test  that  the 
Spirit  is  not  of  anti-Christ  but  is  the  Holy  Spirit. 
A  careful  distinction  should  be  made  here  be- 
tween simply  a  benevolent  disposition  which 
gives  of  ones'  abundance,  and  the  spirit  of  sac- 
rificing love,  which  allows  nothing  to  stand  be- 


154  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

tween  the  need  and  the  ability  to  supply.  The 
former  may  exist  without  the  latter.  The  latter 
must  always  include  the  former,  and  it  is  the 
spirit  of  self-sacrificing  love  which  constitutes 
the  evidence  of  the  indwelling  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit  and  is  the  Christian  spirit. 

(e)  The  highest  type  of  Christian  love  is  that 
which  seeks  to  bring  to  other  souls  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  and  of  salvation.  And  this  love  will, by 
faithful  witnessing  to  Christ  seek  to  glorify  him 
among  men  and  in  the  salvation  of  souls.  We 
have  already  seen  that  the  first  duty  is  in  con- 
fessing Christ  as  the  one  "come  in  the  flesh"  as 
the  Son  of  man,  but  the  apostle  introduces  a  new 
form  of  confession  here  which  will  recognize  in 
a  living  testimony  Christ  Jesus  as  the  Son  of 
God.  Lifting  us  thus  up  before  the  world  as  be- 
lievers in  a  divine  Christ  whom  the  whole  world 
ought  to  receive.  Mark  the  language:  "Who- 
soever shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God, 
God  abideth  in  him,  and  he  in  God.  V.  15. 
But  he  had  already  declared  that  the  apostles  had 
given  a  truthful  testimony  "  that  the  Father  hath 
sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Savior  of  the  world." 
V.  14.  And  then  he  argues  that  whosoever 
shall  give  such  a  testimony  docs  it  by  the  Spirit 
of  God, and  hence, is  an  evidence  of  the  witness 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  155 

of  the  Holy  Spirit.  To  exalt  Christ,  to  glorify 
Christ,  to  witness  for  Christ,  is  the  mark  of  a 
true  Christian.  To  make  the  whole  life  a  wit- 
ness to  Christ  as  the  glorious  Son  of  God  is  the 
highest  end  of  Christian  life.  No  cherubim  or 
seraphim,  no  angel  or  archangel  can  do  so  much 
for  Christ  in  the  world  as  can  the  soul  in  which 
dwells  the  Holy  Spirit  and  from  his  knowledge 
of  Christ  constantly  confesses  his  faith  in  the  Christ 
who  is  the  Son  of  God. 

(/)  Such  a  Christian  as  this  will  stand  yet 
another  test.  He  will  have  confidence  in  Christ. 
The  love  he  has  for  the  Savior  will  drive  out  all 
fear.  He  cannot  shrink  away  in  cowardice  or 
confusion.  He  realizes  that  he  has  been  saved 
by  the  power  of  divine  love.  Heaven  has  given 
the  choicest  boon  for  his  redemption  and  the 
Spirit  in  his  soul  bids  him  come  with  perfect  con- 
fidence to  God.  Eyen  the  day  of  judgment  has 
no  terrors  for  him.  He  can  pass  beyond  death 
into  the  great  eternity  without  shrinking.  He 
knows  he  is  safe.  "God  is  love;  and  he  that 
abideth  in  love  abideth  in  God,  and  God  abideth 
in  him.  Herein  is  love  made  perfect  with  us, 
that  we  may  have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment ;  because  as  he  is,  even  so  are  we  in  this 
world.  There  is  no  fear  in  love  ;  but  perfect  love 


156  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

casteth  out  fear,  because  fear  hath  punishment ; 
and  he  that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect  in  love." 
Verses  16-18.  The  Christian  by  the  Spirit 
recognizes  God's  love  toward  himself.  His  own 
love  is  awakened  and  seeing  God  as  Christ  has 
revealed  him,  as  the  Father,  he  can  come  to  him 
in  confidence.  He  rests  securely  in  the  divine 
love. 

(g)  The  final  and  supreme  teat  is  the  disci- 
ple's love  tc  God.  "  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God, 
and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar.  For  he  that 
lovethnot  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  cannot 
love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen.  And  this 
commandment  have  we  from  him,  that  he  who 
loveth  God  loveth  his  brother  also."  Verses 
20,21.  Here  the  argument  is  the  reverse  of  the 
fourth  test,  in  that, it  was  from  the  love  of  God 
to  the  love  of  our  fellowmen.  Here  it  is  from 
the  love  of  our  brethren  to  the  supreme  love  for 
God.  The  wonders  of  divine  grace  take  posses- 
sion of  the  soul.  He  is  not  moved  by  fear,  or 
justice,  or  holiness,  or  wrath.  He  sees  God's 
love  and  he  loves  God.  No  other  motive  could 
so  fully  control  him.  The  Spirit  begets  within 
him  love  for  the  God  who  saves  and  blesses  him. 
There  can  be  no  question  of  the  legitimacy  of 
this  test.  Nothing  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can  or 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  157 

would  produce  in  the  heart  that  once  loved  sin 
and  rejected  God,  a  supreme  over-mastering,  all- 
absorbing  love  for  God,  which  calls  no  service 
unworthy  whereby  this  love  can  be  expressed. 
The  love  the  Christian  has  for  God  is  born  of 
the  love  God  has  for  him  and  compels  the  entire 
and  perfect  control  of  his  whole  being  to  the 
God  who  loves,  the  Christ  who  saves,  and  the 
Spirit  who  witnesses. 

In  these  seven  tests  are  found  the  divinely 
authorized  means  of  determining  whether  the 
Spirit  abiding  within  us  is  the  Holy  Spirit  or 
not.  Here  is  no  uncertain  crucible.  These  ele- 
ments can*  leave  no  doubt  where  they  are  applied. 
They  are:  1.  Confession  of  Christ.  2.  Over- 
coming anti-Christ.  3.  Obedience  to  Christ.  4. 
Love  for  Christ's  own.  5.  Witness  for  Christ. 
6.  Confidence  with  Christ.  7.  Supreme  love  for 
Christ.  Having  these  the  believer  knows  that  it 
is  the  Holy  Spirit  which  has  taken  up  his  abode 
in  his  soul.  He  cannot  be  deceived.  Such  a 
Spirit  is  not  false.  If  he  be,  it  is  heaven  to  be 
false.  It  is  glorious  to  be  controlled  by  a  false 
Spirit  if  this  be  false.  Here  bring  your  experi- 
ences, your  emotions,  your  convictions,  your 
desires,  your  evidences,  and  test  them  by  this 
perfect  standard,  and  if  you  have  found  them  to 


158  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

endure  this  test  then  can  you  know  that  you  are 
in  Christ  and  he  in  you  by  the  Spirit  which  he 
hath  given  you. 

*'  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  . 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,    and   ever   shall    be,    world  without    end. 
Amen." 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  159 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  HOLY  SPIRIT    AND  THE  WORD. 

The  Bible  claims  to  be  a  revelation  from  God 
to  men  for  their  warning,  instruction  and  com- 
fort. To  this  end  the  relationship  between  the 
Word  of  God  and  the  Holy  Spirit  must  be  most 
intimate  and  positive.  Many  of  the  passages 
already  quoted  show  this,  and  it  will  only  be  neces- 
sary here  to  repeat  them  in  order  that  we  may 
see  what  the  relationship  the  Word  and  the 
Spirit  sustain  to  each  other. 

1.  The  first  claim  set  forth  is  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  an  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
apostle  declares,  "no  prophecy  (of  Scripture) 
ever  came  by  the  will  of  man  ;  but  men  spake 
from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 
2  Pet.  1:21.  And  again  speaking  of  the  pro- 
phets who  "prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should 
come  unto  you:  searching  what  time  or  what 
manner  of  time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in 
them  did  point  unto,  when  it  testified  beforehand 


160  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the  glories  that 
should  follow  them.  To  whom  it  was  revealed, 
that  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto  you,  did  they 
minister  these  things,  which  now  have  been 
announced  unto  you  through  them  that  preached 
the  gospel  unto  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  forth 
from  heaven  :  which  things  angels  desire  to  look 
unto."  IPet.  1:11,12. 

In  these  words  the  apostle  expressly  recognizes 
the  inspiration  of  both  Old  and  New  Testament 
teachings  concerning  Christ  through  the  direct 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  prophets 
and  apostles.  It  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  message 
through  them,  not  their  own. 

The  statements  of  this  inspiration  include 
more  than  prophet  and  apostle.  The  writer  of 
the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  recognizes  the  psalm- 
est  as  inspired  when  he,  quoting  the  95th  Psalm, 
declares  :  "Wherefore  as  the  Holy  Spirit  saith.'' 
Heb.  3  :  7.  Our  blessed  Lord  himself  recognizes 
the  same  fact  when  he  asks:  "How  doth  David 
in  the  Spirit  call  (the  Son  of  David)  Lord,  say- 
ing, The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord  Sit  thou  on  my 
right  hand,  till  I  put  thine  enemies  underneath 
thy  feet?"  Matt.  22  :  43,  44.  This  means  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  enabled  David  to  understand  and 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  161 

teach  truths  which  he  would  not  have  known  had 
he  not  been  so  helped. 

So  Moses  was  inspired,  as  declared  in  God's 
statement  concerning  the  choice  of  the  elders  : 
"  I  will  take  of  the  Spirit  which  is  upon  thee, 
and  put  it  upon  them."  Num.  11:17.  Imply- 
ing that  the  messages  delivered  by  Moses  were 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  resting  upon 
him.  And  so  again,  Ezekiel  says:  "The  Spirit 
entered  into  me  when  he  spake  unto  me."  Ez. 
2:2.  "The  Spirit  took  me  up."  Ez.  3:12. 
"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  fell  upon  me  and  said 
unto  me,  speak."  Ez.  11:  15. 

The  prophet  Micah  says  :  "  I  am  full  of  power 
by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord."  Micah  3:8.  And 
Zechariah:  "  The  words  which  the  Lord  of  hosts 
hath  sent  in  His  Spirit,"  etc.  Zech.  7  : 12. 

The  declarationsconcerning  the  inspiration  of 
the  New  Testament  are  none  the  less  explicit. 
The  Master  himself  promised  that  "  the  Comfor- 
ter, when  he  is  come,  shall  teach  you  all  things 
and  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  things  I  said 
unto  you."  John  14:  26.  "The  Spirit  of  truth 
shall  guide  you  unto  all  truth."  John  16:13. 
Thus  emphasizing  the  thought  that  in  the  work 
and  preaching  of  the  apostles  they  were  to  be 
guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  Paul  understood 


162  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

it  when  he  said  :  "  The  mystery  of  Christ  which 
in  other  generations  was  not  made  known  unto 
the  sons  of  men,  as  it  hath  no'w  been  revealed 
unto  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets  in  the 
Spirit."  Eph.  3:5.  Paul  declares  that  his 
messages  are  by  the  Spirit,  thus  setting  forth 
that  the  gospels  and  the  epistles  are  by  divine 
inspiration  through  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  same  truth  is  set  forth  regarding  the 
Apocalypse:  "IJohn  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the 
Lord's  Day,  and  I  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice, 
as  a  trumpet  saying,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a 
book,  and  send  it  to  the  seven  churches."  Rev. 
1:10,  11.  And  with  each  letter  there  is  con- 
nected the  very  significant  statement,  "He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches."  Thus  does  the  whole  Bible 
come,  not  simply  as  a  revelation  of  God,  but  as 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  speaking  through 
chosen  men  in  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Dispen- 
sations. Vide  Heb.  10  : 15. 

2.  Again  the  Scriptures  recognize  that  be- 
yond the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  the  Holy 
Spirit  uses  them  as  an  instrumentality  through 
which  to  reach  men.  That  he  gives  the  inspired 
Word  power  which  it  would  not  otherwise  possess 
when  it  is  preached,  by  which  it  is  to  accomplish 


THK    HOLY   SPIRIT.  163 

the  purpose  of  God  for  it.  Thus  the  Word  of 
God,  inspired  of  God,  is  called  the  Sword  of  the 
Spirit."  Eph.  6:17;  and  in  our  hands  is  made 
quick  and  powerful.  And  so  Paul  realized  in  his 
preaching  and  so  declares:  "our  gospel  came 
not  unto  you  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power, 
and  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  .  .  .  and  ye  ... 
received  the  word  .  .  .  with  joy  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."  1  Thes.  1:5,  6.  Again:  "And 
such  confidence  have  we  through  Christ  to  God- 
ward  :  who  also  made  us  sufficient  as  ministers 
of  a  new  covenant :  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the 
Spirit ;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the  Spirit 
giveth  life."  2  Cor.  3:5,  6. 

The  apostle  had  already  declared :  ' '  My 
speech  and  my  preaching  were  not  in  persuasive 
words  of  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  of  power ;  that  your  faith  should  not 
stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of 
God."  1  Cor.  2:4,5.  Again  Paul  declares: 
"God  chose  you  from  the  beginning  (or  as  first 
fruits)  unto  salvation  in  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth."  2  Thes.  2:13. 
Thus  do  tjie  apostles  teach  not  alone  that  the 
Scriptures  are  from  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  but  that  without  his  present  and  active 
co-operation,  even  the  preaching  of  this  truth 


164  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

would  be  powerless  in  the  salvation  of  men. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  present  in  the  preaching  of 
the  Word  when  it  is  successful  in  the  salvation  of 
souls,  the  sanctific.ition  of  saints,  or  the  edifica- 
tion and  comfort  of  the  believers.  He  and  he 
alone  can  make  it  powerful. 

3.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  has  put  in  to  the 
Word  warning  and  instructions  concerning  the 
future  of  the  Church,  and  thereby  his  power 
awakens  the  Church  to  her  duty  and  danger 
Spiritual  things  in  the  Word  of  God  are  spirit- 
ually discerned.  As  it  is  the  Spirit  of  the  man 
which  knoweth  the  things  of  man,  so  it  is  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  believer  which  enables  him  to 
understand  the  mystery  of  divine  revelation. 

Paul  declares:  "the  natural  man  receiveth  not 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ...  because 
they  are  spiritually  judged."  1  Cor.  2:  14. 
Peter  declares :  "No  prophecy  of  Scripture  is  of 
private  interpretation."  2  Pet.  1:20.  It  is  in 
this  way  tnat  we  are  made  cognizant  of  danger. 
"The  Spirit  saith  expressly,  that  in  the  later 
times  some  shall  fall  away  from  the  faith." 
1  Tim.  4:1.  Thus  by  the  light  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  the  believer  knows  his  dangers  and  his 
duties  too.  This  power  then  of  understanding 
the  Word,  of  comprehending  its  meaning,  of 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  165 

hearing  itswarnings  and  invitations  is  granted  to 
the  believer  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  only  by  him. 

It  was  £this  thought  Paul  emphasized  when 
speaking  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  he  says : 
"Unto  this  day  whensoever  Moses  is  read  a  veil 
lieth  upon  their  hearts.  But  whensoever  it  shall 
turn  to  the  Lord,  the  veil  is  taken  away,  now 
the  Lord  is  the  Spirit,  and  where  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  there  is  liberty  i.  e.,  unveiledness." 
2  Cor.  3: 15-17.  As  has  been  noted  part  of  the 
Spirit's  work  is  to  reveal  Christ.  To  this  end 
whenever  the  Word  is  preached  the  Holy  Spirit 
endeavors  to  enable  souls  to  see  Jesus  ;  but  he 
who  shuts  himself  up  against  this  divine  aid, 
sees  in  the  Word,  not  the  glory  God  has  placed 
there,  the  glory  of  his  well  beloved  Son — but 
only  a  good  man  or  a  wise  teacher. 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  none  but  Chris- 
tians can  see  value  in  the  Bible  instruction ; 
beauty  in  its  poetry;  integrity  in  its  history; 
character  in  its  laws  ;  instruction  in  its  precepts  ; 
charm  in  its  figures  ;  wonder  in  its  parables ;  les- 
sons in  its  biography.  No  one  of  brain  and 
heart  can  fail  to  detect  this  and  much  more  in 
the  blessed  Bible. 

But  where  is  there  a  devout  Christian  student 
who  has  not  realized  that  the  Spirit  opened  to 


166  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

his  mind  the  deeper,  profounder  thoughts  of  God 
in  the  Bible  as  it  never  was  opened  without  his 
aid.  The  light  flashed  upon  the  mysteries  of 
revelation  came  to  the  believer  by  the  power  of 
him  who  was  sent  by  our  Savior  according  to  the 
promise  of  the  Father. 

In  these  three  ways  then  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
relatecT  to  the  Word :  1.  In  its  original  inspira- 
tion. 2.  In  making  it  of  power  in  salvation  of 
sinners  and  the  sanctification  of  saints.  3.  In 
enabling  the  Christian  to  understand  the  Word 
and  comprehend  its  spiritual  meaning.  That  the 
Word  as  it  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Church 
does  not  accomplish  more  is  not  the  fault  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  but  of  the  Church  which  fails  to 
realize  the  sacredness  of  her  trust  and  the  mighty 
power  entrusted  to  her  control  and  use.  God 
did  not  intend  to  save  the  sinner  or  comfort  the 
saint  by  beautiful  liturgies,  or  elaborate  creeds, 
or  elegant  churches  ;  but  by  the  living  Word  of 
the  living  God,  in  the  hands  of  a  living  Church 
by  the  power  of  the  living  Spirit  of  Christ. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  167 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  IN  CONFLICT  WITH  SATAN. 

The  Bible  recognizes  that  the  supreme  instiga- 
tor and  originator  of  all  evil  in  the  world  is  Satan 
or  the  devil.  Various  names  and  titles  are  given 
to  him  and  the  evil  agencies  at  his  control. 
Among  these  is  "Beelzebub  the  prince  of 
devils  "  or  demons.  Matt.  12  :  24.  "  The  Prince 
of  this  world."  John  14': 30.  "The  power  of 
darkness."  Col.  1:13.  "The  prince  of  the 
power  of  the  air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in 
t£e  sons  disobedience."  Eph.  2:2.  "  The  god 
of  this  world."  2  Cor.  4:4,  and  others  equally 
significant.  The  Bible  emphatically  sets  forth 
that  the  great  purpose  of  Satan  is  antagonism  to 
God  and  all  good :  the  binding  of  men  unto  him- 
self— unto  evil  for  all  time  and  eternity,  and  thus 
the  moral  ruin  of  all  men  is  secured  where  he 
can  obtain  and  maintain  control. 

His  purpose  is  then  wholly  infernal;  evil,  and 
only  evil.  This  being  true,  he  lays  hold  upon  all 


168  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

possible  snares,  devices,  temptations,  allurements 
and  influences  to  perfect  his  influence  over  men 
and  hold  the  mastery.  And  since,  as  is  appar- 
ent, his  great  care  is  the  eternal  spiritual  ruin,  it 
is  not  strange,  as  his  titles  imply,  that  he  should 
work  largely  by  subtle,  invisible  and  mysterious 
processes  upon  human  mind  and  heart. 

It,  was  by  such  processes  that  it  is  declared  he 
gained  his  first  control  over  the  human  family, 
and  having  involved  them  in  spiritual  death  it 
becomes  easier  for  him  to  continue  his  influence 
by  the  same  means.  It  becomes  at  once  appar- 
ent that  his  plans  and  purposes  are  thus  at  com- 
plete antagonism  with  the  plans  and  purposes  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  history  of  man  from  the 
time  of  the  fall  until  the  advent  of  the  Messiah 
was  largely  a  history  of  intense  depravity  under 
Satanic  influences.  This  depravity  was  so  uni- 
versal just  prior  to  the  flood  and  so  desperate  that  no 
warnings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  were  heeded  outside 
of  the  one  family  of  Noah,  and  the  wrath  and 
judgment  of  God  swept  the  earth.  After  the 
flood  it  was  again  manifested  in  all  forms  of  evil, 
in  the  degrading  and  debasing  forms  of  religious 
service  everywhere  outside  the  Jews  ;  in  personal 
and  national  control  as  in  Saul  and  the 

Israelites.     The  world  was  almost  filled  with  self- 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  1(59 

ishness,  bloodshed,  sensuality,  avarice,  vice  and 
impurity.  As  the  time  drew  near  to  the  advent 
of  the  Messiah  these  forms  of  sin  were  intensi- 
fied until  the  culmination  was  seen  in  the  antag- 
onism of  incarnate  demons  to  the  incarnate  Son 
of  God.  These  demons  in  human  form  opposed 
the  blessed  Christ  with  such  malignity  as  only 
could  characterize  them.  To  the  devil  himself 
was  reserved  the  task -of  making  one  supreme 
effort  by  a  personal  encounter  with  Christ.  In 
this  contest  of  Heaven  with  hell  Christ  was  led 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  when  for  forty  days  from 
every  direction  the  Master  was  assailed  by 
Satanic  avarice.  Appetite  and  ambition  were  the 
principal  forms  in  which  this  assault  was  made  at 
the  close  of  this  long  siege.  But  defeated  at  last 
the  enemy  of  souls  withdrew  for  a  season,  only 
to  renew  his  attacks  in  other,  and,  if  possible, 
even  more  subtle  forms.  The  advice  and  sug 
gestions  to  evil  presented  by  mother,  brethren, 
apostles,  friends;  the  hatred  and  persecutions  of 
enemies  among  all  classes ;  these  were  recog- 
nized by  the  Lord  through  the  Holy  Spirit  as  only 
so  many  different  forms  of  antagonism  brought 
by  the  devil  and  his  forces  against  the  establish- 
ment and  perpetuation  of  God's  kingdom  among 
men.  It  was  this  recognition  of  devilish  influ- 


170  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

ence  that  was  declared  by  Christ  when  speaking 
to  Peter.  He  said:  "Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan."  Matt.  16  :  23,  and  the  same  of  the  trai- 
tor whose  inspiration  to  his  black  infamy  was 
declared:  "And  after  the  sop  then  entered 
Satan  into  him."  John  13 :  27. 

These  passages  need  not  be  multiplied  to  show 
that  our  Lord  by  reason  of  his  clear,  spiritual 
perception  recognized  Sat#n  as  his  great  antag- 
onist, whether  he  came  to  him  in  his  own 
Satanic  person,  in  likeness  to  an  angel  of  light  in 
the  advice  or  action  of  one  of  his  own  disciples, 
in  the  suggestions  of  his  own  mother  or  brethren, 
in  the  bitter  hatred  of  the  chief  priests  and  rulers 
of  the  Jews,  or  whatsoever  form.  It  is  also 
clear  that  the  disciples  did  not  so  recognize  these 
devilish  influences  and  that  they  did  need  words 
of  warning  to  awaken  to  this  great  fact.  Yea, 
more ;  they  needed  the  enlightening  power  of 
the  constant  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  show 
them  this  great  fact  in  the  mysterius  problem  of 
man's  redemption.  They  did  not  understand 
how  Satan  wrought  through  the  thoughts  of  their 
own  minds,  the  desires  of  their  own  hearts, 
insinuating  by  subtle  processes  the  corrupt  pur- 
poses of  his  own  nature  into  theirs,  so  that  they 


THE   HOLY    SPIRIT.  171 

seemed  the  natural  result  of  logic  and  of  pure 
motives. 

The  life  of  the  Son  of  Man,  led  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  was  a  moral  and  spiritual  struggle  for 
mastery  in  order  to  the  salvation  of  men,  with 
the  devil  and  his  demons.  It  was  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  coining  personal  victory  that 
the  blessed  Master  could,  near  the  close  of  his 
life,-  and  in  full  view  of  the  terrible  conflict  of 
Gethsemane  and  Calvary  exclaim  :  "  Now  is  the 
judgment  of  this  world  :  now  shall  the  prince  of 
this  world  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up 
from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  myself." 
John  12:31,  32,  "The  prince  of  this  world  is 
judged."  John  16:  11. 

It  is  to  be  understood  here  that  the  judgment 
of  this  world  and  the  prince  of  this  world  which 
Christ  declared  accomplished,  was  practically 
secured  because  upon  Christ  had  come  the  sin  of 
the  world  and  the  condemnation  of  the  sinners. 
So  that  they  who  should  believe  on  his  word 
should  not  come  into  judgment.  Vide  John 
5:24.  But  still  it  is  to  be  remembered  that 
while  undoubtedly  the  triumph  of  Christ  in  His 
death  and  resurrection  was  His  personal  victory 
over  Satan  and  a  pledge  of  the  final  victory 
of  His  kingdom  over  Satan's  kingdom,  yet  the 


172  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Scriptures  plainly  set  forth  that  the  enmity  still 
continues,  and  will  continue  until  the  devil  has 
been  cast  into  the  bottomless  pit  and  until  death 
and  hades  have  been  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 
The  intensity  of  the  conflict  may  have  assumed 
new  forms,  but  it  continues,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  Scriptures  and  in  his  personal  influence 
upon  Christian  hearts  and  consciences  is  needed 
to  reveal  his  presence  and  his  power  and  to 
enable  them  to  overcome  his  purposes  and 
plans.  So  the  apostle  declares  :  "  Our  wrestling 
is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  .  .  .  but 
against  the  world — rulers  of  this  darkness, 
against  the  spiritual  hosts  of  wickedness  in  the 
heavenly  places"  Eph.  6:12.  No  doubt  is 
left  as  to  his  meaning  in  these  terms,  for  he 
himself  explains  them  as  referring  to  "the 
devil,"  verse  11,  "the  evil  one,"  verse  16. 

Concerning  the  forms  of  antagonism  carried 
on  by  Satan,  the  apostle  says:  "Even  Satan 
fashioneth  himself  into  an  angel  of  light.  It 
is  no  great  thing  therefore  if  his  ministers 
also  fashion  themselves  as  ministers  of  right- 
eousness ;  whose  end  shall  be  according  to  their 
works."  2  Cor.  11:14,  15.  And  again:  "We 
would  fain  have  come  unto  you,  1  Paul  once  and 
again;  and  Satan  hindered  us."  1  Thes.  2:18. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  173 

Again;  speaking  of  the  man  of  sin,  "whose 
coming  is  according  to  the  working  of  Satan 
with  all  power  and  signs  and  lying  wonders,  and 
with  all  deceit  of  unrighteousness  for  them  that 
are  perishing."  2  Thess  2:9.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary here  to  multiply  these  passages  which 
speak  of  "the  wiles  of  the  devil,"  "the  power 
and  works  of  the  devil,"  "the  devices  of 
Satan;"  against  these  both  saint  and  sinner  are 
warned.  But  the  ability  to  detect  him  and  to 
overcome  him  are  results  secured  only  by  the 
indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  this  impor- 
tant truth  concerning  Satan's  influence  that  needs 
to  be  more  fully  realized  by  the  Church  of  God 
and  the  disciples  of  Christ  than  it  is  to-day.  He 
to-day  seriously  hinders  the  power  of  the  Church 
by  his  subtle  approaches  and  temptations  that 
appeal  to  a  carnal  love  of  the  world,  lust  of  the 
eye  and  pride  of  life.  The  ease  and  delights  of 
selfish  enjoyment,  the  subjection  of  the  spiritual 
natures  to  the  physical.  The  sensual  enjoy- 
ment of  fleshly  designs  and  appetite,  the 
appeal  to  passion  -  and  lust.  The  avarice  of 
the  stock  mart  or  gambling  hell ;  the  allur- 
ements of  the  saloon;  the  opium  joint,  the 
house  of  death;  the  depraved  play-house;  the 
amorous  opera  and  theatre  ;  the  corrupt  novel  ; 


174  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

the  dishonest  man  in  business ;  the  comprehen- 
sive combinations  of  capital ;  the  rule  of  anarchy 
and  communism  ;  the  blaspnemy  of  spiritualism  ; 
the  corruption  of  free  love ;  the  undress  of  pub- 
lic ball-rooms ;  the  intensified  morbidness  of  club- 
rooms  ;  the  semi-nudity  of  females  in  theatres  or 
social  circles ;  the  wine  glass ;  the  greed  of  gain 
and  the  love  of  gold.  These  anda  thousandother 
devices  of  Satan  aie  only  so  many  avenues  along 
which  he  strives  to  hold  dominion  over  souls  and 
lure  them  to  eternal  death,  and  to  hinder  as  far 
as  possible,  the  advance  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
to  the  final  conquest  of  the  world. 

Sometimes,  in  his  methods  openly,  vilely  cor- 
rupt; sometimes  insidiously,  subtlely,  imper- 
ceptibly ;  in  thoughts,  in  feelings,  in  appetites, 
in  impulses,  in  false  reasoning,  in  perverting  of 
judgment,  in  unyielding  of  will,  in  diseased  im- 
aginations, in  mental,  moral  or  physical  weakness, 
in  these  ways  he  leads  and  controls  men  and 
women  to  work  his  own  devilish  desires. 

The  laws  of  the  mind  are  at  best  but  very  im- 
perfectly understood.  We  know  but  little  of  the 
ways  in  which  one  mind  influences  another.  We 
are  only  just  beginning  to  realize  the  elementary 
laws  of  magnetism  and  electricity  and  their  rela 
tionship  to  bodily  conditions  or  mental  influences 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  175 

or  spiritual  states.  Some  things  we  see  but  do 
not  understand.  We  see  vast  bodies  of  men  at 
one  moment  swayed  by  one  passion  and  the  next 
by  another;  witness  mobs  and  riots.  We  know 
that  one  will  can  be  controlled  by  anothe'r  and 
made  the  victim  of  another's  pleasure.  We 
know  but  little  of  the  laws  of  heredity,  or  impar- 
tation  of  life  and  character.  We  realize  but 
partially  the  influence  of  the  sexes  upon  each 
other.  We  know  but  fragments  of  the  influence 
of  the  sun  and  planets  upon  the  electrical  condi- 
tions which  effect  all  forms  of  life,  either  mental 
or  physical.  We  only  know  that  these  things 
exist  and  the  Bible  opens  to  us  the  startling, 
truth,  heretofore  but  partially  realized,  that 
these  conditions  which  belong  to  this  world,  these 
material  things  and  these  subtle  currents,  powers 
and  agencies  have  been  under  the  organized 
direction  and  control  of  Satan  and  his  demon 
legions  for  the  destruction  eternally  of  mankind  ; 
that  in  this  conflict  has  come,  by  the  vicarious  atone- 
ment of  Christ,  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  seek- 
ing to  lead  men  to  a  voluntary  surrender  to  His 
holy  purposes,  and  this  warfare  is  in  progress  to- 
day, waged  relentlessly.  The  victory  is  assured, 
but  for  us  the  duty  is  none  the  less  imperative. 
To  the  nature  and  importance  of  this  conflict  the 


176  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Christian  Church  needs  to  be  thoroughly 
aroused. 

It  is  seen  by  the  above  facts,  based  on  the 
divine  testimony,  that  from  the  hour  of  birth, 
during  the  entire  life  here  of  every  immortal 
soul,  Satan  operates  in  every  possible  way  in 
antagonism  to  every  holy  interest,  every  pure 
purpose,  every  right  desire.  He  wages  relent- 
less Avar  against  the  Holy  Spirit  at  every  point  in 
his  efforts  to  save  souls.  Does  the  Holy  Spirit 
seek  to  awaken  the  sinner?  Satan  at  once  antag- 
onizes by  producing  spiritual  blindness,  mental 
and  moral  weakness,  by  passion,  by  pride,  by 
false  experience,  by  ignorance  of  the  world,  by 
false  hopes  and  self-righteousness,  by  self-decep- 
tion. If  the  sinner  overcomes  he  finds  himself 
as  a  saint  beset  by  worldly  influences,  by  indiffer 
ence  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  by  love  of  this  world, 
by  corrupting  friendships,  by  self-satisfaction, 
by  pleasures  unholy,  entangling  alliances,  by 
church  discords,  by  family  feuds,  by  personal 
weaknesses. 

And  so  this  contest  goes  on  until  the  hour  of 
death  ushers  the  soul  into  the  regions  of  the  lost 
or  the  paradise  of  God.  The  Church  should 
strive  to  understand  this  terrible  contest  of  evil 
with  good,  of  heaven  with  hell.  But  the  Church 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  177 

never  will  fully  understand  it,  nor  her  victory  be 
near,  until  in  her  membership  is  a  holy  Church, 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  armed  for  the 
conflict  by  the  Word,  by  faith,  by  prayer.  Then 
will  the  end  come.  Then  will  the  Lord  for 
whom  we  wait  appear  the  second  time  without 
sin  unto  salvation.  Then  will  the  new  heavens 
and  the  new  earth,  in  which  is  no  sin,  descend 
from  God. 

44  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


178  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


CHAPTER  |XVII. 


THE  EMBLEMS  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  personal  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  represented  to  our  intellectual  con- 
ception by  means  of  symbols  or  emblems  recog- 
nized by  physical  senses  in  the  natural  world.  It 
seems  to  have  been  the  divine  thought  to  help  us 
to  more  fully  comprehend  the  nature  and  charac- 
ter of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  by  using  physical 
symbols.  These  symbols  are  then  God's  chosen 
illustrations  from  natural  things  by  which  to  help 
us  to  understand  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
get  a  clearer  grasp,  through  the  physical  senses, 
of  important  spiritual  truths.  Our  minds  accus- 
tomed to  deal  with  natural  facts  and  material 
things  can  by  the  means  of  these  divinely  desig- 
nated symbols  more  easily  comprehend  the  real 
import,  and  character  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  mis- 
sion on  earth.  And  that  they  are  divinely  de- 
signated symbols  or  emblems  makes  us  sure  that 


THE   HOLY    SPIRIT.  179 

we  shall  not  err  in  the  application  thus  made  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  himself. 

1.  The  principal  means  of  communicating 
thought  among  men  is  by  the  human  voice,  of 
which  the  tongue  is  the  chief  instrument.  The 
gospel  is  God's  communication  to  men,  and  as  we 
have  seen  is  made  efficient  by  the  direct  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  So  then,  when  the  apostles  at 
the  beginning  of  their  work,  were  waiting  for  the 
enduement  of  power,  it  was  a  most  fitting  sym- 
bolism that  the  Holy  Spirit  should  take  the  visi- 
ble form  of  tongues  resting  upon  them.  And 
that  the  first  special  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  should 
be  in  enabling  them  to  speak  with  tongues  they 
had  never  learned.  So  the  declaration  is  "  And 
there  appeared  unto  them  tongues  parting  asunder, 
like  as  of  fire  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them.  And 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  be- 
gan to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit 
gave  them  utterance."  Acts2:3<4.  This  is 
then  a  symbol  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Holy 
Spirit's  power  is  to  be  made  effective.  He  is  not 
the  tongue,  but  his  power  is  to  be  felt  through 
tongues  speaking  in  every  direction.  In  other  words, 
he  is  to  make  the  tongue  of  the  divinely  chosen 
messenger  efficient  in  preaching  the  gospel  unto 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  His  power  up- 


180  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

on  the  apostles  and  ministry  is  then  the  voice  of 
God  speaking  to  a  sinning  world. 

2.  When  the  Spirit  came  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost it  is  said  "and  suddenly  there  came   from 
heaven  a  sound  as  of  a  mighty  wind  and  it  filled 
all  the  house  where  they  were  sitting."     Acts  2:  2. 
And  when  the  Master  sat  in  the  garden  withNico- 
demus,    he   said:     "the  wind   bloweth  where   it 
listeth  and   thou  nearest   that  voice  thereof,  but 
knoweth  not  whence   it  cotneth  or  whither  it  go- 
eth.     So  is  every  one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit." 
John  3  :  8.     In  the  fir^t  verse  the  wind  is  a  strong 
wind,  in  the  second  it  is  the  gentle  breeze,  but  in 
both  it  is  the  air  in   motion  which    represents  the 
Holy  Spirit.     In  the  latter  coming  in  the  work  of 
regeneration  as  gently  and  unrecognized,  so 

as  origin  or  purpose  is  concerned,  as  the  zephyr  ; 
in  the  former  with  impetuous  power  to  energize 
the  Christian  worker  for  the  responsible  duties 
laid  upon  him.  The  one  is  the  inspiration  to  the 
new  life,  the  other  the  inspiration  to  work,  but 
both  from  God,  and  in  both  the  life  of  the  soul 
inbreathed  as  the  air  is  the  by  the  body  inbreath- 
ed. Hence  the  fitness  of  the  wind  as  the  second 
symbol  or  emblem  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

3.  At  the  baptism   of   our  blessed   Lord  it  is 
said  that  after  his  holy  baptism  "  lo,  the  heavens 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  181 

were  opened  unto  Him  and  He  saw  the  Spirit  of 
God  deseeding  as  a  dove  and  coming  upon  Him." 
Matt.  3  : 16.  This  emblem  was  not  used  at  any 
other  time;  nor  did  the  Holy  Spirit  assume  this 
form  other  than  in  his  visible  witness  to  our 
Lord's  Sonship  with  the  Father.  The  appropria- 
teness of  this  form  at  this  time  and  place  may  be 
seen  in  many  ways.  The  offering  of  the  poor 
was  a  dove.  The  spirit  of  the  Master  was  gentle 
like  a  dove.  And  thus  the  Holy  Spirit  as  he 
abode  upon  the  Son  of  man  and  filled  him,  could 
most  fittingly  represent  the  character  and  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ  by  a  dove  form.  He  thus  con- 
stituted a  fitting  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  in- 
fluence upon  the  holy  Christ  in  his  personal  traits 
of  character  and  in  the  sacrificial  offering  he  made 
for  the  hu*mblest  sinner.  Out  from  the  opened 
heavens,  after  he  had  rendered  obedience  in  the 
fulfilling  of  righteousness,  there  came  to  the 
Master,  descending  upon  him  and  to  abide  with 
him  as  the  Son  of  Man,  the  Holy  Spirit  choosing 
as  the  fitting  form  in  which  to  appear  before  men 
and  to  their  natural  vision,  a  dove — the  emblem 
of  peace — and  the  fitting  sacrifice  for  peace  be- 
tween God  and  the  sinning  soul.  It  is  only  then 
in  the  Holy  Spirit's  relationship  to  the  Son  of 
Man  that  the  svmbol  of  the  dove  is  chosen  1 1 


182  THE   HOLY    SPIRIT. 

is  not  a  symbol  of  his  relationship  to  men,  either 
as  saints  or  sinners. 

4.  As  we  have  already  seen,  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  believer  is  to  be  manifested  through  his 
personal  power  upon  the  unsaved,  the  Master 
has  given  as  a  most  fitting  symbol  of  this  spiritual 
influence  thus  exerted.  On  the  last  day,  the 
great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  say- 
ing, "If  any  man  thirst  let  him  come  unto  me 
and  drink.  He  thatbelieveth  on  me  as  the  Scrip- 
ture hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water.  But  thus  spake  he  of  the  Spirit 
which  they  that  believed  on  him  were  to  receive." 
John  7  : 38,  39.  Thus  under  the  symbol  of  living 
water,  he  himself  the  fountain  source,  the  Holy 
Spirit  the  water  of  life  and  the  believer  the  chan- 
nel through  which  this  life  is  to  be  communicat- 
ed to  those  who  needed  and  would  come  to  drink, 
does  he  represent  the  Spirit.  There  is  a  deep 
significance  in  the  fact  that  it  is  living  water,  a 
flowing  stream,  springingfromthe  fountain  source 
and  moving  outward  and  onward  to  bless  the  souls 
thirsty  because  of  the  fever  of  sin.  The  symbol 
teaches  the  character  of  the  Christian  who  is  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  it  carries  with  it  an  ob- 
ligation to  every  Christian  to  be  thus  a  fountain 
of  life  flowing  to  bless  the  world  in  sin.  From 


THE    HOI.Y    SPIRIT.  183 

such  a  symbol  the  Christian  feels  the  need  of 
true  life  in  contrast  with  miasma  and  death  in  his 
influence. 

5.  In  Paul's  letters  we  find  the  following  lan- 
guage indicating  another  symbolism:  "Ye 
.  having  heard  the  word  of  truth,  the 
gespel  of  your  salvation  .  .  .  having  also 
believed  (in  Christ)  ye  were  sealed  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  promise  which  is  an  earnest  of  our  in- 
heritance unto  the  redemption  of  God's  own  pos- 
session unto  the  praise  of  his  glory."  Eph.  1 : 13, 
14.  And  again:  "Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  God  in  whom  ye  were  sealed  unto  the  day  of 
redemption."  Eph.  4:30.  And  again :  "God 
sealed  us  and  gave  us  the  earnest  of  the 
Spirit  in  our  hearts."  2  Cor.  1:22.  In  these 
passages  two  symbols  are  used  in  conjunction.  A 
seal  is  the  impress  of  the  government  by  the  plac- 
ing of  the  chosen  design  so  as  to  secure  the  object 
sealed  from  any  antagonism.  It  bears  the  author- 
ity and  the  protection  of  the  government  for  that 
upon  which  it  is  placed.  An  earnest  is  that  which 
makes  the  promise  secure,  the  forfeiture  which 
stands  for  the  promise  until  the  promise  is  fulfill- 
ed. Thus  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  produc- 
ing in  the  believer  the  likeness  to  Christ  and  in 
witnessing  to  his  adoption  into  God's  family  is 


184  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

presented  to  us  under  the  two  fold  symbol  of  a 
seal  and  a  pledge. 

We  have  thus  in  the  symbols  or  emblems  by 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  various  offices  is  re- 
presented to  us,  first,  the  tongues  parting  asun- 
der to  indicate  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  endueing  of  the 
ministry  to  proclaim  the  gospel.  Second,  in  the 
breeze  and  rushing  wind  to  represent  his  power 
in  regeneration  and  then  in  sanctification  or  the 
impulse  of  the  divine  life  in  the  soul.  Third.  In 
Christ's  character  and  sacrifice  by  the  dove. 
Fourth.  In  representing  Christian  influence  by 
living  water.  Fifth.  In  representing  the  secur- 
ity of  the  believer  and  in  the  final  fulfilment  of 
God's  promises  to  him  by  the  seal  and  pledge. 

It  will  be  proper  hers  to  consider  another 
statement  made  in  connection  with  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  John  the  Baptist  in  setting 
forth  the  blessings  of  the  Messiah's  advent  says: 
"And  even  now  is  the  axe  laid  unto  the  root  of 
the  trees.  Every  tree  therefore  that  bringeth  not 
forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
fire.  I  indeed  baptize  you  in  water  unto  repent- 
ance; but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier 
than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear.  He 
shall  baptize  you  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire. 
Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand  and  he  will  thoroughly 
cleanse  his  threshing  floor  and  he  will  gather  his 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  185 

wheat  into  his  garner  ;  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn 
up  with  unquenchable  fire."  Matt.  3:10-12. 
There  is  no  reason  apparent  here  for  using  fire  as 
a  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit  when  in  every  other 
passage  in  God's  Word  it  is  used  in  an  entirely 
different  way.  Where  fire  is  used  in  a  literal 
sense  in  the  holy  Scriptures  it  invaribly  sets  forth 
God's  divine  judgments  upon  sin.  Where  it  is 
used  in  figurative  sense  it  represents  the  process 
by  which  evil  is  removed  from  the  soul  or  puri- 
fication by  the  consuming  of  the  evil.  Hence  fire 
is  used  to  destroy  sin.  The  Holy  Spirit  to  impart 
righteousness ;  the  fire  to  bring  death  and  destruc- 
tion to  evil ;  th«  Holy  Spirit  to  bring  life  and  bles- 
sing to  good.  It  may  be  noticed  here  that  no 
sound  principle  of  interpretation  admits  of  repre- 
senting the  same  truth  under  a  literal  and  a  figura- 
tive form  in  the  same  connection.  This  then 
shows  that  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire  are  used  in 
the  passage  quoted  not  as  synonyms  but  as  op- 
posites — both  literal,  working  in  harmony.  The 
one,  the  baptism  to  the  blessings  of  life ;  the 
other,  the  baptism  to  the  condemnation  of  death  ; 
the  one  culminating  for  the  believer  in  heaven  and 
eternal  glory  ;  the  other  culminating  to  the  unbe.- 
liever  in  hell  and  eternal  desolation.  Thus  to 
.the  ungodly  "our  God  is  a  consuming  fire;  but 


186  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

to  the  believer  he  is  the  God  of  our  salvation." 
It  is  true  that  the  fire  of  judgment  and  condemna- 
tion is  from  God  and  also  that  holiness  and  salva- 
tion are  from  God ;  but  they  are  distinct  and  sep- 
arate. By  these  two  processes  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  fire,  the  work  of  separating  good  from  evil, 
will  go  on  until  the  world  has  been  redeemed  from 
sin,  and  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth  have  come 
from  God  and  he  shall  dwell  with  them  forever 
and  be  their  God,  then  shall  \ve  see  and  under- 
stand all  truth  in  the  light  of  eternal  glory  and 
shall  no  longer  need  symbols  to  illustrate  them — 
then  our  intellectual  powers  will  be  unclouded  by 
sin  and  physical  infirmities  and  the  knowledge 
and  investigation  of  truth  will  no  longer  come  in 
the  form  of  earthly  emblems  or  temporal  sym- 
bols. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning, 
is  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  187 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 

THE   HOLY   SPIRIT   AND    APOSTASY. 

Regeneration  is  more  strictly  a  theological  than 
a  biblical  term,  used  to  designate  the  change 
wrought  in  the  spiritual  nature  of  the  sinner 
when  he  becomes  a  member  of  the  kingdom  of 
grace.  In  our  studies  two  things  have  been  made 
clear  :  One  is  that  the  sinner  can  antagonize  the 
Holy  Spirit's  influences  and  be  finally  lost.  The 
other  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  promised  to 
abide  with  the  believer  who  has  received  him. 
There  are,  however,  several  passages  in  the  New 
Testament  which  recognize  in  some  way  a  possi- 
ble apostasy,  and  it  is  necessary  here  to  the  com- 
pletion of  this  work  to  consider  these  in  order 
and  find  the  import  of  them  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the 
sinner. 

In  that  conversation  our  Lord  held  with  the 
Pharisees  in  which  he  so  solemnly  warned  them 
against  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  after 


188  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

they  had  asked  him  for  a  sign,  he  opens  before 
them  the  condemnation  of  greater  sins  because 
of  greater  light  in  revelation  and  then  he  says : 
"But  the  unclean  spirit,  when  he  is  gone  out  of 
the  man,  passeth  through  waterless  places,  seek- 
ing rest,  and  findeth  it  not.  Then  he  saith,  I 
will  return  into  my  house  whence  I  came  out ; 
and  when  he  is  come,  he  findeth  it  empty,  swept 
and  garnished.  Then  goeth  he,  and  taketh  with 
himself  seven  other  spirits  more  evil  than  him- 
self, and  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there :  and  the 
last  state  of  that  man  becometh  worse  than  the 
first."  Matt.  12:43-45.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered here,  that  the  Master  had  set  forth  the  na- 
ture, and  danger  of  the  unpardonable  sin,  and 
then  he  shows  them  that  heart  work,  resulting 
in  holy  living,  is  the  essential  condition  of  bless- 
ings in  his  kingdom.  These  two  must  go  to- 
gether. First  the  heart  must  be  made  clean; 
then  the  new  life  in  Christ" must  be  received  and 
then  this  must  result  in  good  fruit,  or  else  there 
is  no  salvation  received.  So  when  they  ask  for  a 
sign,  he  first  declares  that  they  have  already  the 
promise  of  greater  signs  than  those  of  old  re- 
ceived and  yet  had  boon  condemned,  and  then  he 
proceeds  to  show  them  that  in  his  kingdom, 
merely  intellectual  enlightenment  is  not  enough  ; 


THE    HOLY   SPIRIT.  189 

nor  will  external  reformation  be  enough  ;  nor  will 
correct  formalism  be  enough  ;  there  must  be  the 
reception  into  the  soul  of  a  power  stronger  than 
the  perfected  forces  of  perdition  so  as  to  be  able 
to  resist  every  attack,  and  this  greater  power  was 
to  be  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  this  were  not  done,  no 
matter  how*  great  the  intellectual  light;  no  mat- 
ter how  great  the  outward  reformation  :  no  mat- 
ter how  severe  the  formal  religious  life,  the  time 
will  come  when  the  spirit  of  evil  gone  out,  be- 
cause of  this  partial  work,  will  return  and  take  a 
new  possession,  and  the  last  state  will  be  worse 
than  the  first,  because  the  first  spirit  of  evil  has 
perfected  his  forces  and  with  this  sevenfold  ad- 
dition to  his  power  the  soul  has  passed  under  his 
absolute  dominion.  The  safety  of  the  soul  lies 
then,  not  in  the  conviction  of  intellect;  not  in 
reformation  of  life  ;  not  in  formal  religion,  but 
in  the  reception  of  Christ's  Holy  Spirit.  Thus 
the  house  is  not  simply  empty  of  sin,  swept  and 
garnished,  but  it  is  filled  with  the  power  of  the 
Divine  life  and  from  this  will  flow  forth  the 
others  as  results. 

It  is  very  important  that  this  thought  be  em- 
phasized. There  should  be  borne  home  to  the 
heart  of  both  saint  and  sinner  that  there  is  a 
positive  as  well  as  negative  side  to  the  life  in 


190  THE    HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Christ  Jesus.  While  God  declares  and  teaches 
us  to  recognize  that  the  sinner  is  by  nature  and 
practice  spiritually  dead,  he  also  teaches  us  that 
mentally  and  morally  as  well  as  physically  ho  is 
alive,  albeit,  that  life  is  weakness  and  in  dying, 
dies.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  moves  upon  that 
which  is  already,  to  beget  that  life  which  is  to 
be.  It  was  so  in  the  beginning.  The  Holy 
Spirit  did  not  create  matter,  but  he  moved  upon 
the  created  to  impart  life,  order  and  beauty, .so 
now  in  regeneration  of  the  soul  he  moves  upon 
that  which  is,  that  there  may  be  new  life  im- 
parted; not  simply  new  energy,  nor  new  direc- 
tion, but  absolutely  new  life.  But  to  every  such 
movement  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  man  must  as  an 
intelligent  and  moral  being  respond ;  before  the 
Spirit  can  or  will  carry  the  work  on  to  its  com- 
pletion. God  ever  deals  with  the  soul  by 
recognizing  man's  responsibility  to  use  every 
power  possessed  and  to  call  these  into  active  re- 
sponse to  the  Holy  Spirit's  influences.  The  Spirit 
stands  ready  always  to  perfect  his  own  work. 
Oh  that  there  were  always  full  response. 

It  is  with  this  light  derived  from  the  teaching 
of  our  blessed  Lord  that  we  turn  now  to  the 
teachings  of  the  apostles.  The  writer  of  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  after  urging  Christians 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  l(Jl 

to  constant  advance  in  the  Christian  life,  shows 
the  wisdom  of  this  from  a  negative  argument. 
He  says:  "For  as  touching  those  who  were 
once  enlightened  and  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
tasted  the  good  word  of  God ;  and  the  powers  of 
the  age  to  come,  and  then  fell  away,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  renew  them  again  unto  repentance ;  see- 
ing they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son  of  God 
afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame.  For  the 
land  which  hath  drunk  the  rain  that  cometh  oft 
upon  it,  and  bringeth  forth  herbs  meet  for  them 
for  whose  sakes  it  is  also  tilled,  receiveth  bless- 
ing from  God:  But  if  it  beareth  thorns  and 
thistles,  it  is  rejected,  and  nigh  unto  a  curse ; 
whose  end  is  to  be  burned."  Heb.  6:  4—8. 
Here  the  apostle's  illustration  is  the  same  sub- 
stantially as  that  used  by  the  Lord  in  the  context 
of  the  passage  quoted  above.  It  shows  clearly 
that  the  apostles  recognized  a  real  reception  of 
the  divine  life  into  good  soil  which  will  bring 
forth  good  fruits. 

A  careful  study  of  this  passage  will  show  that 
the  apostle  is  holding  in  contrast  the  soul  in 
which  the  work  of  regeneration  is  an  accomp- 
lished fact,  and  in  which  the  life  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  been  fully  imparted,  with  a  soul  in 


192  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

which  there  has  been  a  near  approach  to  them, 
but  which  has  fallen  short  of  the  actual  accomp- 
lishment. A  difference  is  to  be  noted  between 
the  soul  which  has  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  in 
whom  he  dwells,  to  whom  he  imparts  divine  life 
and  power  on  the  one  hand ;  and  the  soul  en- 
lightened, tasting  of  the  heavenly  gift  or  the 
word,  partaking  of  the  Spirit's  influence,  and 
finally  turning  away  from  all  these  to  go  back  to 
sin  and  final  perdition,  on  the  other  hand.  Hu- 
man experience  corroborates  this  most  serious 
teaching  of  the  word  of  God.  It  may  not  be 
ours  to  often  note  the  boundary  line  that  marks 
the  division  between  salvation  and  sin,  but  such 
a  line  most  surely  exists.  On  the  one  side  there 
may  be  enlightened  conception  of  divine  truth,  a 
high  appreciation  of  divine  things,  respect  for 
Christ ;  a  realization  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  power 
and  influence,  and  yet  a  final  turning  away  from 
God  and  his  offers  of  eternal  salvation. 

The  same  writer  still  later  uses  equally  em- 
phatic language  when  he  says  :  "  For  if  we  sin 
wilfully  after  that  we  have  received  the  knovvU 
edge  of  the  truth,  there  remaincth  no  more  a 
sacrifice  for  sins,  but  a  certain  fearful  expecta- 
tion of  judgment,  and  a  fierceness  of  fire  which 
shall  devour  the  adversaries.  A  man  that  hath 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  193 

set  at  naught  Moses'  law  dieth  without  compas- 
sion on  the  word  of  two  or  three  witnesses ;  of 
how  much  sorer  punishment,  think  ye,  shall  he 
be  judged  worthy,  who  hath  trodden  under  foot 
the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the  blood  of 
the  covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified,  an 
unholy  thing,  and  hath  done  despite  unto  the 
Spirit  of  grace?  For  we  know  him  that  said, 
Vengeance  belongeth  unto  me,  I  will  recompense. 
And  again.  The  Lord  shall  judge  his  people. 
It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God."  Heb.  10  : 27-31.  Here  again  the 
apostle  recognizes  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  as 
possible  without  salvation.  And  that  a  soul  may 
have  been  led  to  know  his  duty,  to  comprehend 
the  necessity  for  salvation  through  the  blood  of 
Christ,  to  have  been  in  some  degree  moved  by 
the  Spirit  almost  even  to  surrender  of  soul,  and 
yet  to  have  wilfully  sinned  by  treading  under 
foot  the  Son  of  God,  and  his  blood,  by  despising 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  he  affirms  that 
for  such  an  one  there  is  no  salvation  possible,  but 
a  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment.  These  words 
carry  a  terrible  word  of  warning  to  the  soul  that 
knows  his  duty  and  will  not  do  it ;  and  to  the 
soul  that  in  the  full  light  of  the  Word,  and  under 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  turns  by  force  of 


194  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

will  away  from  God  to  go  into  sin.  Calvary  and 
Pentecost  are  wonderful  purchases  for  a  sinning 
race.  God  holds  them  sacred.  He  expects  men 
to  hold  them  sacred,  and  the  soul  that  turns  un- 
der the  light  of  divine  truth  away  from  Calvary 
and  Pentecost  turns  from  God's  final  offer  of 
salvation,  and  turns  to  eternal  woe. 

The  Apostle  Peter  puts  in  contrast  the  word  of 
God  given  by  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with 
the  teachings  of  corrupt  and  false  prophets. 
His  description  of  these  false  teachers  is  one  of 
the  most  vivid  pictures  of  the  corrupting  power 
of  devilish  purpose  upon  sinful  men  that  has  ever 
been  made :  And  he  lifts  a  warning  voice  to 
these  professing  Christians  who  listen  and  give 
heed  to,  these  corrupt  teachings  and  shows  them 
the  terrible  result  of  so  doing. 

He  says  of  such  as  may  be  led  to  follow  these 
false  and  corrupt  teachers  :  *'  For  if,  after  they 
have  escaped  the  defilements  of  the  world  through 
the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus 
Christ,  they  are  again  entangled  therein  and 
overcome,  the  last  state  is  become  worse  with 
them  than  the  first.  For  it  were  better  for  them 
'not  to  have  known  the  way  of  righteousness, 
than,  after  knowing  it,  to  turn  back  from  the 
holy  commandment  delivered  unto  them.  It  has 


THF    HOLY    SPIRIT.  195 

happened  unto  them  according  to  the  true  prov- 
erb. The  dog  is  turned  to  his  own  vomit  again ; 
and,  the  sow  that  was  washed  to  her  wallowing 
in  the  mire."  2  Peter  2:  20-22.  Here  again 

O 

the  apostle  by  his  own  illustration  shows  that  he 
recognizes  the  difference  between  regeneration 
and  reformation ;  between  receiving  the  divine 
life  and  knowing  the  truth.  He  uses  strong 
figures.  They  are  dogs,  not  sons.  They  are 
washed  sows,  not  saved  children.  They  are  un- 
clean in  nature,  not  regenerated.  They  may  have 
had  knowledge,  and  external  cleansing,  and  have 
understood  duty,  but  the  internal  nature  unchanged 
asserts  itself  and  the  last  condition  is  worse  than 
the  first.  We  have  already  in  the  chapter  on 
sins  against  the  Holy  Spirit  shown  the  different 
character  and  consequences  of  these  sins.  It  is 
not  necessary  here  to  do  more  than  show  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  falling  away  from  light 
and  truth  and  knowledge  received  through  the 
word  of  truth  and  the  Holy  Spirit  and  that  al- 
ways the  condition  after  such  apostasy  is  worse 
than  it  was  before,  leaving  the  soul  in  sorer  de- 
spair and  where  the  lapse  is  by  a  wilful  rejection 
of  truth  and  of  Christ,  a  wilful  despising  of  the 
Holy  Spirit's  influence,  it  must  culminate  in 
eternal  death,  from  which  there  is  no  redemption. 


196  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

Is  is  not  for  us  to  pass  sentence  upon  any  soul ; 
it  is  ours  to  lift  the  voice  of  warning  in  har- 
mony with  the  voice  of  mercy ;  to  press  upon  the 
soul  the  dangers  of  sin  in  the  face  of  light,  while  we 
at  the  same  time  issue  the  proclamation  of  liberty 
for  the  captive  through  deliverance  offered  in 
Christ  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  These  are  those  de- 
scribed by  Jude  as  "  having  not  the  Spirit." 
Jude  19.  But  it  is  not  ours  to  determine  for 
others  whether  or  not  they  may  be  saved.  It  is 
ours  to  present  Christ  to  dying  souls,  to  bring 
the  full  light  of  his  dying  love  to  them,  to  help 
them  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  to  lead  them  to 
receive  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  im- 
press upon  them  the  convictions  of  duty  and  the 
value  of  salvation,  to  enable  them  to  realize  the 
value  of  eternal  things,  and  even  the  dangers  and 
perils  of  persistence  in  sin,  and  then,  if  after  all 
this,  the  soul  wilfully  turns  to  sin  and  is  lost, 
only  the  soul  itself  is  to  blame.  The  findl  settle- 
ment is  between  the  soul  and  God ;  but  let  us  not 
forget  that  there  is  such  an  apostasy  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  as  involves  irreparable 
ruin ;  of  such  let  every  soul  beware. 

It  may  be  that  some  soul  at  this  point  will  ask 
how  can  I  know  for  myself  whether  I  have  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  and  he  will  abide  with  me 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  197 

forever,  or  if  I  have  only  received  so  much 
knowledge  as  leaves  me  in  danger  of  this  terrible 
apostasy?  In  other  words,  what  are  the  evi- 
dences of  regeneration?  The  answer  to  this 
question  is  found  in  the  first  epistle  of  John  and 
is  the  import  of  that  epistle.  In  this  letter  he 
gives  the  five-fold  test  by  which  the  soul  may 
know  if  he  is  born  of  God,  or  not.  These  five 
evidences  of  the  new  birth  are  not  separate  evi- 
dences, but  they  are  combined  evidences.  They, 
taken  as  a  whole,  constitute  a  complete  tribunal 
before  which  every  soul  may  stand  and  determine 
if  he  is  indeed  a  child  of  God.  The  whole  epistle 
needs  to  be  studied  to  get  the  full  force  of  the 
apostle's  argument,  but  we  present  here  the  five 
tests  or  evidences  of  regeneration  as  being  all  that 
is  necessary  to  our  purpose  :  The  first  is  a  grow- 
ing desire  to  do  God's  will.  1  John  2: 29.  The 
second,  a  growing  release  from  sinful  practices, 
or  hatred  of  sin.  1  John  3:$.  The  third,  a 
growing  love  for  Christians  and  for  God.  1  John 
4:7.  The  fourth,  a  growing  faith  in  Christ  as 
the  divine  Savior.  1  John  5:1.  And  the  fifth, 
a  growing  mastery  over  the  worlfl.  1  John  5  :  5. 
Here  is  the  standard  by  which  to  determine  our 
relationship  to  Christ.  In  such  a  soul  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  wrought  a  complete  change.  Here  he 


198  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

has  taken  up  his  abode.  Here  he  dwells  forever. 
Here  he  brings  forth  his  fruits.  Here  he  is  pro- 
ducing the  image  of  Christ.  Here  he  is  the 
pledge  of  our  eternal  glory,  the  earnest  of  our 
inheritance.  Blessed  security !  Blessed  hope ! 
Blessed  assurance !  Let  no  soul  then  who  knows 
the  value  of  such  blessed  experience  draw  back, 
but  let  him  press  on  until  of  all  the  fullness  of 
grace  and  glory  in  Christ  he  has  received,  and  he 
is  like  Christ  his  blessed  Master. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Spirit;  as  it  was  in  the  beginning  is 
now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end. 
Arnen." 

There  is  a  line  by  us  unseen 

That  crosses  every  path : 
The  hidden  boundary  between 

God's  patience  and  his  wrath. 

To  pass  that  limit  is  to  die — 

To  die  as  if  by  stealth ; 
It  does  not  quench  the  beaming  eye 

Nor  pale  the  glow  of  health. 

The  conscience  may  be  still  at  ease, 

The  spirits  light  and  gay : 
That  which  is  pleasing  still  may  please 

And  care  be  thrust  away. 

But  on  that  forehead  God  has  set 
Indelibly  a  mark. 


THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  199 

Unseen  by  man,  for  man  as  yet 
Is  blind  and  in  the  dark. 

Indeed  the  doomed  one's  path  below 

May  bloom  as  Eden  bloomed ; 
He  did  not,  does  not,  will  not  know 

Or  feel  that  he  is  doomed. 

He  feels  perchance  that  all  is  well, 

And  every  fear  is  calmed, 
He  lives,  he  dies,  he  wakes  in  hell, 

Not  only  doomed,  but  damned. 

Oh,  where  is  that  mysterious  bourn 

By  which  our  path  is  crossed, 
Beyond  which  God  himself  has  sworn 

That  he  who  goes  is  lost  ? 

— Dr.  Alexander. 


VENI  SANCTE  SPIRITUS. 


I. 

Veni   Sancte  Spiritus 
Et  emitte  coelitus 

Lucis  tuae  radium 
Veni  pater  pauperam 
Veni  dator  munerum 

Veni,  lumen  cordium. 

2. 

Consolator  optime 
Dulcis  hospes  animae 

Dulce  refrigerium 
In  laborae  requies 
In  aestu  temperies 

In  fletu  solatium 


200  THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


3. 

O  lux  beatissima 
Reple  cordis  intima 

Tuorum  fidelium 
Sine  tuo  numine 
Nihil  est  in  homine 

Nihil  est  unoxium. 

.     4. 

Lava  quod  est  sordidum 
Riga  quod  est  aridum 

Sana  quod  saucium 
Flecte  quod  est  rigidum 
Fove  quod  est  frigidum 

Rege  quod  est  devium. 

5. 

Da  tuis  fidelibus 
In  te  confidentibus 

Sanctum  septenarium 
Da  virtutis  meritum 
Da  salutis  exitium 

Da  perenne  gaudium. 

— Old  Latin  Hymn. 


REFERENCE  TEXTS. 


Jen.  1  :2  : 

page  16. 

Ez.   2:2;       page  161. 

"    2:7; 

"  17,  53. 

"     3:12 

*«  161. 

"    6:3; 

"  20. 

"      11:15; 

"  161. 

]x.    31:3; 

"  18. 

"      11:19; 

"  29. 

sfum.  11:17; 

««  19,  161. 

"      36:26,27; 

"  30. 

•«      11:29; 

"  22. 

"      S9:29; 

"  80. 

Fudg.  6  :34  ; 

"  21. 

Joel  2:  28,  29; 

"  30. 

"      11:29; 

"  21. 

Micah3:8; 

"  161. 

Sam.  16:13; 

"  19. 

Zech  7:12; 

««  161. 

"      16:14; 

"  19. 

«*     12:10; 

"  81. 

1  Chron.  15:1 

;     "  21. 

Matt.  3:10,12; 

"  82,42,  185 

Fob.  12:10; 

"  17. 

«     3:16; 

«*  35,181. 

'    26:13; 

"  16. 

«     12:14; 

"  167. 

•    27:3; 

"  17. 

*     11:28; 

««  87. 

«    32:8; 

"  17. 

«     12:32; 

"  65. 

•    33:4; 

"  17. 

«     12:48-45; 

««  188. 

'  .    33  :6  ; 

"  17. 

«     16:23; 

"  170. 

51:11; 

"  19. 

«     22:43,44: 

"  160. 

104  :29-30 

;     "  17,  18. 

Ml 

irk  1:8; 

"  32,  42 

139:7; 

"  17. 

«     1:10; 

"  35. 

139:16; 

«  17. 

•     1:12; 

"  36. 

s    11:1,2; 

"  27. 

«     3  :  28-30. 

"  65. 

32:15; 

"  29. 

Li] 

ke  1:35; 

««  35. 

42:1; 

"  87. 

•   2:25,27; 

"  28. 

42:5; 

"  17. 

«    8:16; 

"  31,  "4f. 

44:2,3; 

"  19. 

•    8:21; 

'«  35. 

61:1; 

•'  27. 

'    4:1,2; 

"  36. 

63:10; 

"  20. 

•    4:18-21; 

«•  28. 

202 


REFERENCE     TEXTS. 


Luke  11:13; 

page  45. 

Acts  10:  19;        page  123. 

"    12:10-12; 

«•  45,  66. 

*«    10:44-47;       "  58. 

"    24:46-419; 

««  51,  61. 

"    11:12;             '  123. 

John  1:88; 

««  85,  86. 

««    11:15-17;         *  59. 

"    8:1-8; 

"  82,  180. 

"    13:1-4;            '  122. 

"    8:34; 

'«  23. 

"    15:28;              '  129. 

"    4:23,24; 

««  25. 

"    16:7;                '  123. 

"    6:60-65; 

"  89,  79. 

"    19:1-6;            «  59. 

'    7:37-39; 

"  46,  182. 

"    20:28; 

122,129. 

*    12:31,32; 

««  171. 

Rom.  1:4; 

•  88. 

'    13:27; 

««  170. 

"     5:5; 

113. 

«    14:16,17. 

"  46,  87. 

«     8; 

38,    97, 

«    14:26-27; 

"  47,     91, 

137,142. 

161. 

"      14:17; 

113. 

"    14:30; 

"  167. 

"     15:13; 

113. 

"    15:26,27; 

"  24,     47, 

"      15:18-19; 

125. 

132. 

1  Cor.  2  :4-5  ; 

24,  124. 

"    16:7-11; 

"  47,     77, 

163. 

171. 

"     2:9-15; 

92,  164. 

"    16:13-14; 

"  24,     89, 

««     3:16-17; 

71,  129. 

47,   48, 

"     6:11; 

90. 

91,  120. 

"     6:19-20; 

72,  87. 

"    17:3; 

"  84. 

"     12:1-13; 

80,  114, 

"    19:SO; 

"  50. 

122,131. 

"    20:21-23; 

"  53,  120. 

"     12:28; 

115. 

Acts  1  :5  ; 

"  42,  120. 

"     13:8; 

116. 

((      1  .Q     Q  . 

a.  .0,  y  , 

"  51,  132. 

"     15:45; 

94. 

"    1:16; 

"  22. 

2  Cor.  1:22; 

93,  183. 

"    2:2-4; 

"  54,  180. 

«'      3:5,6; 

163. 

"    2:3,4; 

"  179. 

«*     3:13-18; 

89,  165. 

"    2:16-21; 

"  55. 

"      4:4; 

167. 

"    2:31-33; 

«•  55. 

"     5:17; 

83. 

"    2:37-39; 

««  62. 

"      11:14,15; 

172. 

"    4:31; 

"  56. 

Gal.  5:5; 

139. 

"    5:1-11; 

"  70. 

"     5:16-18; 

90,  142. 

"    6:3; 

"  128. 

"     5:19-13; 

112. 

"    7:51; 

««  68. 

"     5:25; 

142. 

"    8:5-17; 

"  57. 

»     6:7,8; 

143. 

"    8:29-39; 

«•  123. 

Eph.  1:13,14; 

93,  183. 

"    9:31; 

"  129. 

«•     2:2;                    167. 

REFERENCE    TEXTS. 


203 


Eph.  2:10;          page  83. 

Heb.  2:3,  4;      page  116. 

2:18-22; 

130. 

"     3:6-9; 

«  160. 

»:5; 

123,162. 

•     6:4-8; 

«  191. 

3:14-16; 

94. 

1     9:18,14; 

«  37. 

4:3-5; 

131. 

«     10:15; 

•  162. 

4:30; 

74,  183. 

«     10:28,29 

«  67. 

5:18-21; 

144. 

'     10:26-31: 

«  193. 

6:12; 

172. 

IPet.  1:10-1*; 

•  22,     93, 

6:17; 

141,163. 

124,160. 

6:18; 

140. 

"     3:18; 

«  38. 

Phil.  2:1-2; 

131. 

2  Pet.  1:20; 

•  164. 

"     3:3; 

140. 

««     1:21; 

«  22,159. 

Col.  1:13; 

167. 

"     2:20-22; 

«  195. 

1  Thes.  1  :5-6  : 

124,163. 

Uohn3:24; 

«  87,  148. 

••     2:18; 

172. 

"     4:2: 

«  80. 

"      4:7-8 

73. 

"     4:18; 

•  87. 

"      5:19; 

73. 

«     4; 

«  148,158. 

2  Thes.  2:9; 

173. 

"     5:6-8; 

«  133. 

"      2:13; 

90,  163. 

«•     5:12; 

«  84. 

1  Tim.  8:16; 

38. 

Jude  19  ; 

•  196. 

"      4:1; 

164. 

"    20,  21  ; 

«  140. 

2  Tim.  1:14; 

122. 

Rev.  1:10,  11; 

•  162. 

Titus  3:4-7;              "  82. 

«•     22:17; 

•  134. 

bT 


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